Legault Government Prepares Next Round of Attacks on Most Vulnerable in Quebec
On August 20, Quebec Premier François Legault announced the next round of anti-worker measures he is taking in the name of such high ideals as protecting the French language, not exacerbating the housing crisis with more immigrants and refugees, and the like.
Legault, at a one-hour press conference, declared a six-month moratorium effective September 3 on any new or renewed applications from foreign workers for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program – for which Quebec is responsible – if they are for the island of Montreal.
Part of his pretext is defence of the French language in Montreal. This change would result in the repatriation of some 3,500 foreign workers in Montreal, including many working in restaurants and warehouses. Exceptions include temporary foreign workers in the agriculture and food processing, construction, education, health care and social services sectors, as well as any workers that Hydro-Quebec will need.
Reports indicate that refugee claimants, the most vulnerable of all, will be used to fill these positions, while awaiting a decision from the Refugee Board and risking deportation.
Legault claims the moratoriam is the result of his demands that the federal government significantly reduce the number of refugee claimants in Quebec and "redistribute" them across Canada, and for a significant cut in the federal International Mobility Program. He says, the federal government has responded, "What about you?"
Premier Legault also announced that this fall he will introduce legislation regarding international students in an effort to eliminate some who come here to study but want to remain.
In the weeks and months preceding this announcement, various actors in the education system expressed their dismay at the government's divestment in French classes in spite of the Quebec government's claims that this is its priority.
They pointed out that Quebec decided to cut funds given to school service centres (formally school boards) in spite of the fact that last spring the Quebec French language commissioner established that the number of hours offered for French classes was largely insufficient. Many called attention to the fact that such cutbacks could lead to the closure of thousands of classes.
The president of the Quebec Association of School Principals' Personnel (AQPDE) also expressed his disappointment and incomprehension: "We need these people, workers who speak French, and the government is hindering the process. For us, on the ground, the decision is hard to take."
In July, the teachers' union Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE) sent a letter to Premier Legault and to the chair of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, to denounce the situation. They pointed out, among other things: "Only 43.6 per cent of immigrants who had declared upon application having no knowledge of French participated in French courses in the three years following their application. Between June 1 and April 15, only half the people who applied to Francisation Quebec had started their course or received confirmation that they were registered."
The FAE also points out that in January, 36,204 people were waiting to be admitted to a French class although the union, in their last collective agreement, negotiated an improvement in welcome classes and French classes for students from an immigrant background.
Despite the facts, the Legault government misses no opportunity to blame the people for the anti-social offensive and to incite racist attacks against migrant workers, refugees, international students and others. It is state-racism but Quebeckers are blamed for being xenophobic and other nonsense.
This article was published
in
Volume 54 Number 9 - September 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/M5400910.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca