(Montreal) With an offer of a 9% raise over five years, the Quebec government is putting a “slap in the face” to nurses who, for years, have given it their all, denouncing the FIQ.
In an interview on Friday, Francois Ramel, vice president of the Fédération interprofessionelle de la santé (FIQ), reported that its members, nurses, nursing assistants and other healthcare professionals, were completely “offended” by the government’s offer to all states on Thursday. employees.
Quebec pays 3% in the first year and 1.5% in each of the following four years for a total of 9%.
But it also provides a sum of $1000 for the first year. It also plans to allocate an amount equivalent to 2.5% to “government priorities”. How the amount is implemented for these preferences and for which job titles is not yet known.
By adding the sum of the increase, the lump sum, and the government’s preferences, Quebec receives an offer equal to 13%.
But for FIQ, it doesn’t take into account the glaring reality of the health network.
“It is truly shameful to dare to offer 9% over five years. It’s really a slap in the face to the healthcare professionals who have been giving their all for years, and it’s really a slap in the face to the network,” marveled Ms.me Ramel.
In terms of salary, FIQ is demanding a permanent salary adjustment mechanism in the collective agreement and a 4% increase in each rate and each salary scale over the three years of the agreement.
She is also asking for a pay “upgrade” of 6% in every pay rate and scale.
FIQ does not know what the equivalent of 2.5% represents for “government preferences”. “This is the mystery of the moment,” concludes the sociopolitical and status of the female vice president.
TSO and Ratios
And it’s not just salaries. The FIQ was not satisfied with key questions related to the popular TSO (compulsory overtime), nurse-patient ratios and the use of private employment agencies.
“We are waiting for the law on the proportions,” the FIQ vice-president emphasized. And the TSO will “vacate all personnel” leaving the public network. So we need to improve all the working conditions of nurses in the public network, she explains.
In its offer, Quebec provided discussion forums to address certain topics in depth, but Ms.me Ramel had no illusions.
“There have been plenty of debates, which have never happened and have not been successful. And these are endless discussions. We have solutions,” she said.
