Northern unions and organizations gathered in Baie-Comeau on Thursday to highlight the International Workers’ Day. The spirit was not at the party: the common front deplores the impoverishment of workers in the region and the deterioration of their working conditions.
The president of the Côte-Nord Côte-Nord of the CSNGuillaume Tremblay, believes on the one hand that the minimum wage and wages in the public network are too low.
When you are not able to have attraction and retention [de travailleurs] In the public sector, that means that we have not been able to follow inflation and the cost of living
launched the union representative at a press conference Thursday morning.
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The minimum wage goes from $ 15.75 to 16.10 on Thursday, an increase far from meeting the needs of workers, according to Michel Savard. (Archives photo)
Photo : CBC / Sam Farley
To this end, the coordinator of the table of popular groups of the North Shore, Michel Savard, points to the last increase in the minimum wage, which he considers insufficient.
An increase of 35 cents per hour is completely unacceptable in this context. We do not understand, it is really a slap in the face for the workers who are at the minimum wage
laments Michel Savard.
The Côte-Nord Côte-Nord, Line Sirois, director general, adds that the employment insurance scheme contributes to the economic insecurity of workers in the region.
-Once again, there is a reform of employment insurance, because it is essential to the economy of all regions. It is essential for all workers, because we do not know who will lose your job tomorrow morning with the economic situation that we are currently living
she argues, referring to the pricing conflict with the United States.
Working conditions denounced
Union representatives also denounce the poor working conditions of their members, which arise from austerity measures
of the Caquist government, according to them. Unions explain that these poor conditions can be caused by a lack of staff or by inadequate infrastructure, among others.
The shortage of labor in the health network, for example, harms the population as well as to the caregivers, according to the local president of theAPTSMylaine Larocque.
Investments that [le gouvernement] wanted to do health and education are not even sufficient to support the current network
she deplores, referring to the last provincial budget.
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Representatives of organizations and unions expressed their dissatisfaction by going to the offices of the Caquist deputy of René-Lévesque, Yves Montigny. They hold pills bearing the names of bills that harm workers, they say.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Benoît Jobin
We delete positions, we cut services, we increase the burden of community organizations or we simply privatize
notes for her part the president of the union of interveners and interveners of health of the Northeast Quebec (Siisneq-CSQ), Karine Moreau.
René-Lévesque Caquist deputy, Yves Montigny, had not responded to our request for an interview to the writing of these lines.
