Quebec public sector strikes: Premier Legault says he's ready to increase the offer

Quebec Premier Francois Legault says he's ready to increase his government's offer to striking public sector workers, but he says their unions have to show more flexibility.

For the first time since Quebec's public sector unions began strike action earlier this month, Quebec Premier Francois Legault said clearly on Thursday he is willing to increase his government's offer.

But, he said, unions need to show more "flexibility," particularly around work schedules, adding that the current round of negotiations will be decisive for the future of the health and education networks and their ability to provide efficient services.

Legault said too many past governments rushed to settle issues around salary increases and failed to press the unions on how work is organized.

"Come to the negotiation table," he said in a message to the unions. "In exchange for this flexibility, we are ready to enhance our offer."

Flexibility, Legault said, comes in the form of teachers accepting class assignment in May rather than in August, avoiding a last-minute scramble by school boards to assign teachers to classes. In August, Quebec was missing thousands of teachers weeks before the start of school, but that number was drastically reduced as teachers accepted assignments.

Flexibility for nurses, Legault continued, comes when health authorities can pay nurses extra to take "undesirable" shifts, such as nights, weekends and in remote areas. As well, he said, it should be easier to assign nurses to different hospitals.

Unions, for their part, say they are willing to negotiate work schedules, but they won't do so in public.