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Quebec Health Care Workers Demand Real Solutions and an End to Ministerial DecreesQuebec health care unions are speaking out against the changes announced by Health Minister Dubé to the ministerial order granting temporary bonuses to health care professionals, saying that they "miss the mark." A press release published on November 26 on the website of the Service Employees Union of Quebec (SQEES) on behalf of health care unions in Quebec, says that "these changes show that the government is not hearing our message that it must put an end to management by decree and implement the solutions put forward by union organizations that are in tune with the needs of the network. In addition, they reiterate that they will never negotiate a ministerial decree."
The unions point out that the staffing shortage in health care is a complex issue that requires more than temporary measures and invites the government to seriously consider the proposed solutions that the unions have been putting forward for years, including measures already contained in the collective agreement. They also point out that weeks after the ministerial order was made there is still a failure to attract and retain nursing and cardiorespiratory care workers to meet the urgent needs on the ground, proving that Minister Dubé is on the wrong track. The unions have asked the government to meet with them to discuss lasting solutions that are based on recognizing the essential work their members do and they have put forward 15 proposals in response to the problems that the ministerial decree has created. "By refusing our outstretched hand,” the statement says, “the government is missing a great opportunity to respond to the concerns of health care professionals. His [Dubé's] ministerial decree does not resolve the situation because to do so, one must hear the solutions of the people who are on the ground. With its announcement today, the government is showing that it is more interested in managing everything on its own than in improving the situation. Its anti-union attitude has serious consequences, as it has the effect of depriving the population of its right to essential care and services in the healthcare network. Service breakdowns are still common in the network." The unions repeated their desire and availability to discuss long term solutions to resolve the crisis of the shortage of personnel and professional burnout, making it clear that the decree of working conditions and incentives that bypass the unions as representatives of the workers is unacceptable, that negotiations on working conditions must be held with the unions and be based on the labour laws and existing collective agreement. With regard to the incentive program they have put forward various proposals to eliminate discriminatory and punitive conditions. For the full press release click here.
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The Ministerial
Order was issued on October 16, 2021 and
provides for bonuses offered to workers who sign
an agreement to work full-time for a year, an
order which the government claims would address
the staffing shortage crisis in the province.
According to the order, the bonus is conditional
on an individual accepting working conditions
that health care professionals are opposed to
and that violate provisions of recently
negotiated collective agreements. For example,
to get the bonus, a worker has to agree to being
assigned to work outside of their regular work
assignment. In the original order, a leave
without pay or unpaid absence could result in
loss of eligibility for the bonus or a
requirement to repay a bonus already received.
With the changes announced on November 26,
various exclusionary and punitive measures are
maintained, including the requirement that a
worker unable to work full time due to an injury
on the job would have to repay the bonus, a
violation of the labour law.