Public Sector Bargaining – An Insulting
Offer, Once Again
- Quebec Common Front Press Release, October 29, 2023 - A new offer that will leave workers wanting more "Much
ado about nothing: a pitiful bonus of just 1.3 per cent over a
five-year period." It was with great disappointment, but little
surprise, that the spokespersons of the Common Front learned of this
morning's offer by the [Quebec] Treasury Board, which was received as
an affront. Once again, the government is demonstrating its inability
to understand the difficulties faced by public services and the urgent
need to save the sinking ship. What's more, it is proving that it is
completely out of touch with the anger of exhausted workers, who are
carrying on their shoulders public services that are more fragile than
ever.
"This offer is yet another slap in the face to the 420,000
workers of the Common Front. It's an insult. It's too little too late.
For our people, turning the other cheek is over," thundered Common
Front spokespersons François Enault, first vice-president of the
CSN; Éric Gingras, president of the CSQ; Magali Picard,
president of the FTQ; and Robert Comeau, president of the APTS.
Despite
the fact that 100,000 people came out in the streets to support the
Common Front on September 23, despite a mandate for an unlimited
general strike adopted by 95 per cent and the announcement of a first
day of strike action, the elephant still gave birth to a mouse. The
government continues to want to decide everything alone, to impose
everything, accustomed to manoeuvring in this way since it was first
elected, in 2018.
"We see nothing in this offer that would
justify cancelling the strike. We have to face the facts. A strike is
the only way to make the government understand. Since this is what it
wants, we're going to strike loud and clear on November 6," added the
spokespersons. They also said they would take the time to analyze the
proposal in detail and present it to their respective bodies, but there
is already no doubt that it falls short of their members' expectations.
Salary Offer
The
wage offer, which has risen from 9 per cent over five years to 10.3 per
cent for the same period, will do nothing to remedy the immense
backwardness suffered by the 420,000 workers grouped together in the
Common Front compared to other Quebeckers.
"The new wage
offer won't get us out of the impoverishment proposed by the
government. We're still playing in the same bad movie, a disaster
movie."
It should be remembered that the government has chosen
to give parliamentarians a 30 per cent enrichment and catch-up, to
which other annual increases will be added, and has offered 21 per cent
to Sûreté du Québec police officers. The wage
agreement to be reached with the Common Front will have to take this
into account.
"We note that these substantial offers have been
made to predominantly male jobs, while the public services, 78 per cent
of which are made up of women, are only offered crumbs. This is still
unacceptable discrimination against women."
Bonuses
By
renewing certain bonuses until the collective agreement is renewed,
Minister LeBel has taken the only sensible step in this context, but
it's not a gain -- it was already a given. It would have been a serious
mistake for a government that claims to be an employer of choice to
attack the working conditions and practices of workers in troubled
sectors. However, by putting an end to the administrative measures
provided for under COVID-19, the government is setting the cat among
the pigeons.
Retirement
The
government's retreat on a "detention" [retention] measure that it
wanted to impose on the Government and Public Employees Retirement Plan
(RREGOP) -- i.e., increasing the retirement age without penalty from 55
to 57 for people with 35 years' service -- is certainly good news but
the major attack remains, even though the plan is in excellent
financial health. This includes the reduction in its contribution to
pensions under the pretext of improvements to the Quebec Pension Plan
(QPP).
Sector tables
Settlement
of these negotiations will certainly require an agreement at the
central table, but also at the sectoral tables. "Despite all the
signals sent to these sectoral tables, including the recent trimming
[of its demands], our employer counterparts are responding that they
have no mandate to even talk about their own demands. We are left to
question the government's willingness and ability to reach satisfactory
agreements in the near future."
As always, the Common Front will
be available to negotiate in order to move this negotiation forward
quickly, to the satisfaction of its members.
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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