2023-10-30 18:19:18
Among the public sector bonuses whose payment will be interrupted in the coming days by Quebec is a bonus of 3.5% which is paid to all nurses, denounces the FIQ.
The Interprofessional Health Federation, which represents 80,000 nurses, practical nurses, respiratory therapists and clinical perfusionists, denounces the interruption of the payment of this bonus, while Quebec struggles to retain them in the public network.
The FIQ explains that this bonus was negotiated during the renewal of the 2020-2023 collective agreement. According to her, it is therefore not a bonus linked to the health emergency, but a recognition bonus, a form of differentiated remuneration for nurses.
“The height of insult is that the government announced that it was cutting the FIQ bonus by 3.5% for all healthcare professionals. That, I insist, was not a measure in the context of COVID. This is a measure that we negotiated as part of the last collective agreement. The government, Ms. LeBel, wanted to make a differentiated offer for healthcare professionals. And this is the path we found to grant a bonus of 3.5% to all healthcare professionals. And there, we are told that it is being cut. That, I admit, I don’t understand,” exclaimed the vice-president of the FIQ, Jérôme Rousseau, in an interview.
The Treasury Board confirmed Monday that it is stopping paying this bonus. However, he makes another reading of the purpose and context of this bonus.
“This is indeed a bonus implemented in the context of COVID, more specifically it aimed to recognize healthcare professionals, following the resumption of activities due to load shedding resulting from the pandemic. It was to recognize their essential role in the reorganization of clinical activities caused by the pandemic,” explains the office of Minister Sonia LeBel.
The Treasury concedes that this bonus was indeed negotiated with the union side, but emphasizes that it was to end on March 30, 2023.
At the same time, he denies removing this bonus. “We’re not taking anything away; we only stop paying sums that were still being paid, despite the fact that the health emergency has ended since May 2022.”
The CSQ and the CSN, which also represent nurses, confirmed that they were also affected.
This bonus, explained the two union organizations members of the common front, was provided for in a letter of understanding.
Since the new offer tabled on Sunday by the President of the Treasury Board, which included the announcement concerning these bonuses, Mr. Rousseau has the impression “that we are moving away” rather than getting closer, while Quebec says it wants to renew collective agreements by the end of December.
The FIQ is also disappointed with the salary offers from Quebec and the requirements regarding the expected mobility of nurses.
Minister LeBel also announced on Sunday that her offer of a 9% salary increase over five years for all state employees now increased to 10.3%. The lump sum of $1000 for the first year remains the same.
Also, the amount equivalent to 2.5% reserved for government priorities, such as differentiated offers, increases to 3%.
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