Quebec public servants refuse to work
The unions and the government never reached an agreement.
Hundreds of thousands of public employees in the province of Quebec have not stopped protesting. They did not go to work from November 21 to 23, but even after that the authorities did not go to the bargaining table. As a result, the unions set new strike dates: from December 8 to 14.
Who is on strike and why?
Four Quebec unions (FTQ, APTS, CSN, CSQ) continue their fight for fair and just working conditions in a coalition called the Common Front. Together, they represent the interests of 420,000 public sector employees in the health, social services and education sectors.
Union representatives say working conditions are unacceptable, union members' labor is undervalued and wages remain low. After fruitless attempts to negotiate with the provincial government, workers went on strike on November 6, then from November 21 to 23, and are now preparing to strike a third time. If the week-long strike fails, the Common Front will call another, but indefinitely.
In its protest, the Common Front joins the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (Autonomous Federation of Education), the teachers' union that already began an indefinite strike on Nov. 23.
Government response
The strike of the Common Front and the Autonomous Federation of Education is difficult to ignore: schools are closed because of it, hospitals and other state institutions are closed on strike days.
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