A change of tone, even an attitude of openness is taking shape between the Legault government and the central trade unions, according to the latter.
The presidents of the four central trade unions, the CSQ, the CSN, the CSD and the FTQ, resumed, on Friday, the traditional meeting with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Labor of Quebec held on the occasion of the 1er May, Labor Day.
At the end of this meeting with François Legault and Jean Boulet, the president of the FTQ, Daniel Boyer, said he noticed an openness of the Prime Minister to “social dialogue” that he had not perceived so much before.
“The background of the discussions with the Prime Minister today was social dialogue, because we were scalded during the pandemic and during the reign of the CAQ in power, we were scalded a little. We were pushed aside. There is a lack of respect for labor organizations and worker representatives – in the public sector, among others,” Mr. Boyer first reported.
But the tide would be turning. “It’s even him [M. Legault] who addressed it from the outset, that indeed, he should have spoken to us more and agreed more things with us, and that “if I had to do it again, I would do business differently”, reported the President of the largest labor federation in Quebec.
Does he believe in a sincere rapprochement between the Legault government and the trade unions? “I think that the Minister of Health understood that it was a guarantee of success to speak to us and to try to agree with us”, in particular for his refoundation of the health system, underlined Mr. Boyer. “I have a good feeling the. »
The president of the CSQ, Éric Gingras, also underlined the openness of Prime Minister Legault. “We still had an open Prime Minister, who told us that he wanted to be part of the social dialogue and of this Quebec reality of which he was proud. »
The central unions have also given him “the message to take good care of the staff”, especially since the health and education networks are struggling with a shortage of staff.
The two union leaders say they still have a bit of skepticism, given the approach of the election campaign. They admit that they will assess the real will of the Legault government in the decisions it will make and the actions it will take.