Quebec
health care workers demonstrate outside their workplace July 9, 2020 to
defend their rights and those of their patients under conditions of
COVID-19.
On September 23, with the unanimous support of all
Members of the National Assembly minus one abstention, the Legault
government rammed through Bill 105, An Act to establish a perimeter around certain places in order to regulate demonstrations in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In
order to have the legislation adopted in a matter of hours with the
agreement of all parties, the Legault government drastically reduced
the duration of all the steps required for its adoption, going so far
as to limit debate in the National Assembly to a 45-minute period for
its adoption in principle and another 45 minutes for its adoption as
law.
The Quebec government and the parties in the National Assembly
sought to justify the law as an emergency for the protection of
children, the sick and health and education workers from so-called
anti-vax protests.
Premier François Legault tried to justify the law by saying:
"There's no way that we're going to accept this. At a time when there's
a serious shortage of nurses in our health care system, we cannot let a
handful of radicals make their lives even more difficult."
This law is not an emergency law and has nothing to do with
protecting the vulnerable and workers. It has everything to do with the
continuation of what has become the government norm of rule by decree.
That rule has been strengthened since the pandemic and is causing huge
problems by preventing workers from exercising their right to a
decisive say in addressing the problems facing the health care system.
It also closes the door to all avenues of rational and informed
discussion on those problems and their solution. All these governments
are doing is resorting to police powers and creating every kind of
division and antagonism possible to split the unity of the people.
The
Premier's statement that he is on the side of nurses is incredible when
looking into the history of governments over the past thirty years,
including his own. It is they who are directly responsible for the mass
resignation of nurses, not to mention all the other health problems,
including mental health, affecting the nurses and all health care
personnel. Their actions are carried out in the service of narrow
private interests. The government refuses to acknowledge that it has
responsibilities towards the population, which include adequately
funding the health care system and its staff and introducing a set of
measures that includes vaccination and other protective measures, in
cooperation
with those who care for patients.
Its attack on health and education personnel, as well as concerned
parents and others, is seen in the fact that its legislation prohibits,
within a certain perimeter, any demonstrations related to health
emergency measures, as well as any incitement on social media and
elsewhere, of such demonstrations in front of health and educational
institutions.
This is one more decree that prevents a solution to the problems that
comes from those who are actually providing the services, under the
hoax of fighting the extremists, the conspiracy seekers, etc.
Workers are fighting to calm the situation by speaking out against
these provocative decrees and uniting the people in putting forward
demands that uphold solutions to the problems that benefit the people
and society.
Workers' Forum calls on everyone to oppose the perpetuation
of rule by decree. It calls on everyone to defend the right of workers
who provide the care and educate youth in having a decisive say in
determining what needs to be done so that the well-being and the rights
of all are upheld.
This article was published in
October 1, 2021 - No. 90
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/WF2021/Articles/WO08902.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
