Ms. LeBel, who is also the minister responsible for Government Administration, participates in the negotiation of the collective agreements of approximately 600,000 government employees, which expired on March 31.
The minister seeks to win the union in the primary sectors for government, namely education and health. We have a lack of teachers that we will not be able to solve tomorrow morning, he said on Sunday, while he is talking about it all.
“If you want payments for that school year in September, I don’t have time to waste” [et je dois] start finding solutions. »
– Quote from Sonia LeBel, president of the Treasury Board
He suggests reorganizing the work of the press workers so that they can also provide support to the teachers in the lessons.
This proposal is already the subject of a pilot project in 100 Quebec schools and is receiving good feedback. The measure must then be carried out in a larger way.
Ms. LeBel also wants to find solutions to improve working conditions in hospitals. Summer in the health system is very difficult for nurses, he said.
In the most recent offer to the employer, the government says that it has complied with two union demands, namely the abolition of forced overtime and the fact of avoiding recourse to investment institutions as much as possible.
During the shift, nurses are asked to guarantee availability for shifts that are difficult to fill, such as nights or holidays.
Discussion forums
Minister LeBel denies that they tried to circumvent the negotiation process with the public sector by “discussing forums”.
He had invited the unions to these forums to speed up the business.
The idea of dealing with the parallel tables of the custom was displeased by the representatives of the union, who did not want to go there.
The President of the Treasury Board wanted to clarify some gray areas around the forums in the set of all the talks.
“Forums are places to negotiate. We sat down with the government, the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Education. It is not outside the task, it is part of it.”
– Quote from Sonia LeBel, president of the Treasury Board
Businesses in the public sector are about 250 tables, says the minister. In health and education alone, 40 boards combine union and employer representation. we will freeze the earth in the same place. There will be one solution to all things, as I say: why don’t we sit together? he explained.
However, the minister is hopeful of finding an agreement before the deadline for collective agreements. While we are talking about the structure, it is Quebecers who are waiting for services, he asks.
