Unions, supporters rally in Montreal to denounce Quebec government policies
CBC
Members of Quebec's major unions and community groups were out in full force in downtown Montreal on Saturday afternoon to protest against François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec government.
The demonstrators are critical of the government over cuts to public services, the underfunding of social programs and what is being described by many as a shift towards the political right and authoritarianism.
"Our message is clear," said Magali Picard, president of Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), the province's largest labour federation ahead of the march.
"We want the government to understand that the middle class, workers, community groups, the population need a government that listens, that works with its people."
Picard called on the government to abandon its law reforming doctors' compensation, its proposed Quebec constitution, and, above all, legislation overhauling union governance.
The rally, involving nine major unions across the province, as well as five umbrella groups representing some 4,500 community organizations, took place the day before Law 14 — also known as Bill 89 — comes into effect.
The legislation will allow the government to intervene and force striking public sector workers into arbitration and provide minimum services for the public.
Labour Minister Jean Boulet attempted unsuccessfully to speed up its implementation during Montreal's transit strike at the beginning of the month.
At the time, the minister said that "unfortunately there are pressure tactics that have disproportionate impacts on the population,” calling some of the situations Montrealers found themselves in "humanly inadmissible."
"There are people who are in situations of great vulnerability and who absolutely need public transportation," Boulet said.
Caroline Senneville, president of the CSN labour federation, said the law infringes on workers' right to strike.
Mélanie Hubert, president of the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE), accused the Legault government of "sowing chaos in society" by using tactics to "divide and conquer."
"Quebec has pitted public transit employees against users and doctors against patients," she cited as examples. "Enough is enough."
Demonstrators also took aim at Bill 3 which changes funding models for union contributions.
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