This text is part of the special Syndicalism booklet
With its overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, the CAQ government could play hardball with the unions over the next few years. It would be a serious mistake, believes the CSN.
The Coalition avenir Québec believes that it obtained a very clear mandate from the people of Quebec during the last election. With 90 seats won – almost 70 more than his nearest pursuer – and a scattered opposition, we would be inclined to agree with him. The CSN, for its part, maintains that appearances are deceptive.
The central union recalls that the CAQ received only 40% of the votes and that its supermajority is due more to the distortions of our electoral system than to a delirious enthusiasm for its program. “Not to mention that only 66% of registered voters participated, which means that in fact barely more than a quarter of people who could vote chose the CAQ, underlines the president of the CSN, Caroline Senneville. This puts the idea of a strong mandate into perspective. »
The weight of inflation
The CSN therefore hopes that the government will show a certain humility — a character trait that François Legault seemed to lack during the campaign — and listen actively. Especially since hot issues will multiply over the next few years.
At the end of October, the Front commun intersyndical will submit its demands for the next round of negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreements of more than 420,000 public sector workers. The government will then have 60 days to respond and thus initiate negotiations that promise to be tough. Union demands should indeed reflect the rising cost of living.
“It is clear that the return of inflation influences the wage demands of the unions”, recognizes Caroline Senneville. Workers want to protect their purchasing power, both in the public and private sectors. According to the trade unionist, it could also shorten the duration of the collective agreements that will be signed in the coming year. Indeed, employees may be less eager to put their name to the bottom of long-term agreements, without knowing whether the value of the planned increases will decline due to inflation.
Make work attractive
Unions also want to establish a dialogue with the government and employers on broader issues, such as labor shortages and the climate crisis. “We must make jobs more attractive, believes Caroline Senneville. It is often said that the scarcity of labor gives workers more bargaining power, but we forget that it makes their tasks heavier and contributes to work accidents and burnout. This is also what generates very high turnover rates in certain sectors. »
On the environmental front, the unions have been calling for a “just transition” for several years. They refuse to allow the necessary transition to a sustainable economy to take place at the expense of employees and individuals. Among other things, they are calling for support for companies and workers working in sectors that are set to change or disappear because of the climate crisis.
The specter of privatization also reared its head during the last election, carried mainly by the Conservative Party of Quebec, but also by the CAQ, particularly in the health sector. This trend displeases the CSN. The central recognizes that we must rethink our health system, but believes that it must once again become entirely public and more humane. “The main characteristic of privatization consists in making everything based on the search for profits, rather than on services and universal access, which is far from representing an improvement”, indicates Caroline Senneville.
With so many major issues to discuss, the unions hope to be able to count on an open dialogue with the government. The CSN considers that this listening was lacking during the CAQ’s first mandate, in particular during the pandemic, the State having imposed many interventions by decree, without regard to collective agreements.
“The Legault government did not always take full measure of what was happening on the ground, for example in hospitals, CHSLDs and schools, which created a disconnect between the solutions proposed and the real needs of workers. “laments Caroline Senneville.
The president therefore hopes that the next term will start off on a better footing. “We represent people who, day after day, build, produce, care for and educate,” she recalls. We will make their voices heard by the government and the opposition parties. »
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.