The means of pressure thicken at the FIQ, which plans to “disrupt traffic”, Wednesday in downtown Montreal, at the end of the afternoon rush hour.
Around 500 nurses, practical nurses and other healthcare professionals are expected to participate in this demonstration, with the aim of increasing pressure in the context of negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements.
These expired on March 31.
Members of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), which represents 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists, have so far used lighter pressure tactics.
On Tuesday, for example, nurses wore a black T-shirt as their “uniform top” with the FIQ negotiation slogan: “there are limits”. On the back, we could read “salary-personal life-workload there are limits”.
On Wednesday, they must meet at 3:15 p.m. at the Montmorency metro station in Laval, before coming to downtown Montreal for the late afternoon rush hour. Around 500 of them are expected and they promise to “disrupt traffic” and “distribute leaflets” in connection with their negotiations.
The FIQ filed its demands in Quebec last November. In addition to compensation, his demands mainly concern workload and work-life balance.
In August, during a summit meeting, the president of the Treasury Board, Sonia LeBel, and the president of the FIQ, Julie Bouchard, both said they were ready to accelerate the pace of negotiations.
The FIQ recently received its mediation report and it concluded that the parties were too far apart to reach an agreement or recommendations in this regard.
The Administrative Labor Tribunal has already approved the lists of essential services that should be provided in the event of a strike. This does not mean that the members of the FIQ will necessarily go on strike, but they are preparing for it, just in case.
