CANADA
Unions in the Canadian Province of Quebec are urging Premier-Designate, François Legault not to go ahead with his stated aim of cutting 5,000 Public Service jobs, saying the Service is already operating with skeleton staff.
The unions reminded Mr Legault that there had already been significant cuts made by the previous Liberal Government.
President of the Quebec Public Service Union (SFPQ), Christian Daigle (pictured) warned that cuts made by the previous Government had already translated into a lack of services available in the Province’s regions and that further reductions would make it difficult for some Ministries to carry out their functions.
Mr Daigle noted there was a difference between making a campaign promise and actually carrying it out.
“‘Cutting’ in the Civil Service means ‘cut to the bone’; any fat in the bureaucracy was trimmed away a long time ago,” Mr Daigle said.
His union was joined in the message to Mr Legault by the Confederation of National Trade Unions, the Congress of Democratic Trade Unions and the Quebec Labour Congress.
The unions are calling on the new Government to adopt a C$15 (A$16.20) minimum hourly wage, oblige employers to let staff know about work hours at least five days in advance and provide 10 paid days off annually for health or family reasons.
Quebec City, 16 October 2018
