Quebec Health Care Unions Demand Preparations to Face Possible Second WaveThere are serious concerns among workers and people at this time about a possible second wave of COVID-19 in the coming months. Concerns are high because terrible tragedies are still happening in what is called the first wave, especially in the health care system which has been weakened by over thirty years of anti-social offensive by successive governments in the service of narrow private interests. In Quebec, the number of deaths from COVID-19 has reached 5,298 as of June 17, with over 4,700 of them either in CHSLDs (Residential and long-term care centres -- 3,642), seniors' residences or in what are called intermediate resources (residences such as group homes, or supervised apartments for people experiencing a loss of independence and needing help with their daily tasks). Another source of major concern is the view put forward by the ruling circles that now is the time to "reopen Quebec" by striking a balance between the "economy" and the health and safety of workers and people. This is a false and self-serving equation to justify the continued pay-the-rich economy for which the health and the safety of the people is being sacrificed.
The unions point out that "The first phase of the COVID-19 crisis was a failure; aside from claiming the lives of six workers in the health and social services system, it highlighted prevention shortcomings in workplaces, as witnessed by the 5,000 workers who were infected." They state that this long-standing situation must be rectified in anticipation of the second wave of COVID-19. They identify as one of the most significant problems the lack of prevention of workplace illness and injury, which, in the health care sector, is directly related to the health and safety of patients and residents in long term care homes. This problem has reached new proportions in the conditions of the pandemic, they say. The unions also state that right from the start of the pandemic, the recommendations of the Quebec National Institute for Public Health were guided by the low inventories of personal protective equipment (PPE). They believe that health directives varied according to available inventory, and say that the Quebec government has refused to give the workers accurate information on inventories of available PPE, and that several residences and CHSLDs were short of supplies right from the beginning. They also point out that the increasing mobility demands arising from the restructuring of health care which forces workers to move between many sites in a huge geographical area, the use of contract labour hired through private placement agencies, and wages and working conditions that force workers in long-term care homes to work in several long-term care facilities to make a living, all have contributed to the conditions that foster the spread of COVID-19. In addition to adequate equipment, they say, the stability of health care teams must be a priority. The unions are presenting the following demands which they say are needed to rectify the situation and adequately prepare for a second wave of COVID-19. "Reliable data is needed on the number of employees affected per institution, mission, department, activity centre and job title to better plan the available resources. "An accurate picture is needed of the status of protective personal equipment (PPE) inventories to ensure an adequate supply and the highest level of protection for personnel in the system. "Means must be provided to do prevention in the field to limit the number of infections. "The four prevention mechanisms spelled out in the Act respecting occupational health and safety must be implemented in full, on an urgent basis and in all of the institutions in the system, starting with the identification of a prevention representative. This should be followed by the implementation of prevention programs, health programs and health and safety committees." The current Act respecting occupational health and safety was passed in 1979. Among other things, it arbitrarily divided the sectors of the economy into 'priority' and 'non-priority' sectors in terms of health and safety hazards and need for health and safety measures. It set four mechanisms for the prevention of work-related injuries and diseases which are: the prevention representative, the prevention program, the health program, and the joint health and safety committees. The specifics of how this applies depends on the sector workers are part of. It is estimated that only about 11 per cent of Quebec workplaces are currently covered by these mechanisms. Even the construction sector, which is the deadliest sector in term of workplace casualties and is considered by the Act as a priority sector, is not fully covered by the mechanisms because of the long-standing opposition from the construction companies and the refusal of the Quebec government to even implement what is in its own legislation. The unions consider that the immediate appointment, by the workers in all sectors and work places, of a full-time prevention representative selected from among their peers, is of first-rate importance. The only job of the prevention representative would be to make sure that working conditions are safe and healthy. This would contribute to improve the situation and adequately prepare for what lies ahead.
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On June 8, Quebec
health care unions issued a press release
entitled "Better preparations needed in the
health and social services system for the 2nd
wave." The health care unions are the Health and
Social Services' Workers' Union-CSN, the
Interprofessional Health Care Federation of
Quebec, the Alliance of Professional and
Technical Health and Social Services Staff, the
Quebec section of the Canadian Union of Public
Employees, the Quebec Health Federation, the
Quebec Union of Service Employees-FTQ and the
Federation of Professionals (FP-CSN).