To denounce what they consider “stalled negotiations”, members of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la Santé du Québec (FIQ) formed a symbolic picket line for an hour in Huntingdon on Wednesday, November 18.
Forty demonstrators walked peacefully through the streets near the CLSC in Huntingdon under the theme, “On avance, on avance, on recule pas” (we’re going forwards, not backwards).
“It took place during our lunch hour. That way, our clients were not deprived of care,” emphasized Alain Girard, President of the Syndicat local des professionnels en soins. “We want real negotiations not a mockery.”
To illustrate his point, Girard indicated that the first offer his members rejected included a 3 % increase over five years. “It started out like this. 0%, increase for the first two years and 1% per year for the next three. This time the Government has come back with a new offer that is a joke. Québec is offering 0%, the first year, 1% per year for the following three years and 0% for the last year. It’s the same thing; they’ve just moved the numbers around.”
Alain Girard believes that the government could impose special legislation. “The government has done it before. I think we’re getting close to a decree. On the other hand, we simply want to improve our working conditions so we can offer better services to our users.”
Translated by Cathleen Johnston
