The year 2021 “will not have been kind to workers” in Quebec as the pandemic, climate change and the labor shortage are threatening working conditions, deplores the president of the CSN , Caroline Senneville.
“An early morning bosses meeting where they say they’re going to improve working conditions, these days it’s pretty much rare like a holiday party because we’ve never seen so many conflicts at the CSN, ”she said at a press conference on Thursday, where she presented the annual report of the second largest labor organization in Quebec.
The standoff between employers and employees may have resumed with a vengeance this year after experiencing a “certain lull” in 2020 due to confinement, said Ms. Senneville.
The higher number of labor disputes can also be the result of a “paradigm shift” that is slow to take place among some employers due to the scarcity of labor.
“There are still employers who think they can ask their employees for rollbacks” and have instant access to staff, said Ms. Senneville.
The labor shortage is causing the pace of work to accelerate and the use of overtime more frequently in both the public and private sectors, she said.
“The working conditions are made really difficult,” said Ms. Senneville. […] When you are forced to work overtime, which your salary has increased very little in recent years, well you come to the negotiating table saying that I want to make a good living from my work. “
According to the president of the CSN, it is now up to companies to be more flexible in retaining their employees. In particular, they must be able to offer a better work-family balance and be more accommodating towards older workers, said Ms. Senneville.
Public sector negotiations
In 2021, several negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements were concluded in the public sector. Low wage earners were able to obtain larger wage increases, said Ms. Senneville.
As these agreements are short-lived, the unions will have to resume discussions with Quebec in 2022. The CSN will file its demands on October 30, said Ms. Senneville, who is concerned about the precarious situation of public services.
Raising the minimum wage to $ 18 an hour as well as improving the employment insurance system and occupational health and safety conditions will also be among the demands of the CSN next year.
Ms. Senneville also calls on the government to work with unions on the impacts of climate change on the transformation of the economy.
“We have to be able to set up the reorganization of the workforce. You have to get the employees involved and not just tell them that you are going to lose your job. No, that is to say that jobs are transforming and we will work with you to transform your skills so that you can always be there, ”argued the union leader.
The CSN also intends to ensure that the aid reserved for the cultural, restaurant and hotel sectors, hard hit by health measures, is still available in the coming months.
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This article was produced with financial support from the Facebook and The Canadian Press News Scholarships.