Although the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) committed to abolishing overtime for Quebec’s nurses during the election campaign, today nurses are mobilizing to demand that Danielle McCann, the Minister of Health and Social Services, put a stop to mandatory overtime hours and provide solutions to improve working conditions. She has done nothing of the sort to fix matters since her government was elected.
In spite of the budgetary leeway left by the Quebec Liberal Party government, the CAQ did not earmark 350 million dollars for extending ratio projects in the budget, as was agreed upon in the most recent collective agreement with the Fédération Interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ).
We have always valued nurses and have the utmost respect for their work- that is why our last FIQ collective agreement included targets for full-time positions as well as the implementation of ratio projects to improve their working conditions and determine the best team compositions. The Minister needs to make good on her promises to support Quebec’s nurses. When will the Minister of Health and Social Services take up her responsibilities?
– André Fortin, MNA representing Pontiac and Official Opposition Critic for Health, Public Health and Regional Vitality
