No fewer than 420,000 public sector workers seeking higher wages to keep pace with inflation in Canada’s Quebec province on Monday walked off the job for the first of several one-day strikes.
The Barron’s news reports that the unions representing hundreds of thousands of public sector workers who walked off the job announced three more strike days planned for November 21 to 23 unless a deal could be reached before then.
Schools, health care facilities and social services were expected to be disrupted. Three more strike days are also planned for late November.
The Quebec government has offered a 10 percent salary increase over five years and a one-time payment of Canada $1,000 for each worker, which the coalition described as “insulting, offensive and contemptuous.”
Failing to keep up with soaring costs of living, it would effectively “make workers poorer,” the unions said in a statement.
The so-called Common Front of unions are seeking raises for workers two to three points above inflation, which recently slowed to 3.8 percent from a June 2022 peak of 8.1 percent.
According to the report, Monday’s job action started at midnight and, starting this morning, is expected to cause headaches for parents of school-age children, with striking staff in schools expected to start work only at 10:30am.
For English school boards, that means classes will begin at 11am. Most of the French school service centres, if not all of them, have opted to cancel classes in the morning and bring in students in the afternoon. CEGEPs will be closed until noon.
Some disruptions are expected in health-care settings, with staff expected to have reduced workloads, but essential services will be provided.
The workers are part of a common front of unions, known in French as the Front commun.
