I would like to take a moment today, Labour Day 2014, to reiterate my support for municipal employees in Quebec.
Bill 3 is an attack on the rights of Quebec workers. The Couillard government, following its majority victory, has become the Conservatives’ right-hand man in Ottawa.
The pension plan represents salary benefits negotiated with employees over the years. That is why Bill 3 is an affront not only to pension plans but also to our rights to organize and bargain collectively.
Municipal employees deserve what they have received in compensation over the years. The Couillard government is trying to go back in time and apply the austerity measures retroactively. The Green Party of Quebec supports the workers of Quebec.
In the years to come, solidarity will be paramount. The only way to change the direction the government is taking is to join forces.
We have seen employees’ frustrations overwhelmed by this attack on their rights, and some have criticized their lack of subtlety. That does not change the fact that the unions’ demands are reasonable and that the government should abandon Bill 3.
Solidarity with Quebec municipal workers,
Alex Tyrrell
Leader of the Green Party of Quebec
