To denounce the impasse in the negotiations, the 5,600 or so professionals at Revenu Québec will be on Friday evening and weekend strikes for an unlimited period.
The walkout will be in effect Monday to Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., the Syndicat de professionnelles et professionels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ), whose members have been without a collective agreement since April 1, 2020, said on Wednesday.
Despite the strike, the conciliation sessions will continue, according to the union, which regrets the employer’s refusal to improve the wage offer, an annual increase of 2% for three years, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The SPGQ maintains that its proposals aim to reduce the overall compensation gap, which can reach 30% between the professional staff of Revenu Québec and that of the Canada Revenue Agency.
“The union has noticed that the representatives of RQ have shown no eagerness to discuss conditions that would promote the attraction and retention of professional staff,” denounced expressed Guillaume Bouvrette, third vice-president of the SPGQ.
“Until now, the SPGQ has judged that the employer’s position is keeping its members away from a new collective agreement allowing them to catch up with wages compared to other public administrations,” lamented Mr. Bouvrette.