Hidden Agenda of Minister Dubé and the Public Sector's Struggle
Quebec City demonstration against Bill 15, December 12, 2023
Adopted under gag order on December 10, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé's Law 15, called the Law to make the health and social services system more efficient, concentrates all powers in the minister's hands by creating the agency Quebec Health which becomes the only employer in the network in Quebec. The minister may show off, but he nevertheless knows that he must "bulldoze" the collective agreements if he wants to succeed in his anti-social reform.
This is how the unions appear to be the obstacle which, if not removed, will prevent Minister Dubé from carrying out his reform. The minister wants absolute management rights over working hours, the length of the working day and the working week; he wants to be able to move employees from one sector to another, from one establishment to another within a 60 km radius, from one shift to another, from one day to another, etc.
All this would have the consequence of destroying what is still working well, by displacing staff, robbing Peter even more to pay Paul. In other words, the crisis would worsen in the network and cause even more employees to flee.
We have been living for some time in this scenario where the health crisis creates a market for the private sector.
As the crisis worsens, will he
call on private management firms to
take care of a hospital in a region or even Quebec Health
itself? So
they could then subcontract what is the most profitable for the
private
sector?
Minister Dubé prohibited establishments from using private placement agencies. Did he succeed? NO. On the contrary, it has increased. Window dressing and manipulation of public opinion.
Everyone is aware that if the government succeeds in sabotaging the struggle of public sector workers, not only will they suffer disastrous working conditions for themselves and their families, but the destruction of the public hospital and health and social services network will be taken to even higher levels.
It is not for nothing that many seniors encourage the strikers by saying "don't give up," they who are undoubtedly the first victims of the growing dehumanization of health care.
We must invest in health, education and social services. But the government considers this a cost and not an investment. Investing in them means giving billions of dollars to very rich companies, money that they do not have and must borrow. Who are they borrowing from?
By following the money, we will realize that the money comes from large foreign financiers, perhaps even directly or indirectly from the Northvolt company which makes enormous profits from the interest on loans to the government and government grants. Possibly, at the end of the day, this financial operation will bring Northvolt more than the cost of the construction of its planned battery factory itself, if it goes ahead. Guaranteed profits.
This is how the state demands that its employees become poorer and their living and working conditions destroyed, that they -- along with the entire population -- finance the government's pay-the-rich schemes through their taxes, and the ensuing deterioration in health, education and social services.
The nurses' slogan is: Our working conditions, your care conditions and they are absolutely right.
They want their No to mean No! Long live
the struggle of public sector employees!
(Translated from French original by Workers' Forum.)
This article was published in
Number 61 - December 15, 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/WF2023/Articles/WO10613.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca