Minister Barrette’s comments on full-time positions: Now he needs to put his money where his mouth is!
At the FIQ, we are delighted that the Health Minister would like to increase the number of full-time healthcare positions in public health institutions. However, we need to see the Minister’s words put into action by the institutions’ managers.
“Minister Gaétan Barrette says that he asked the CISSSs and CIUSSSs to create more full-time positions. We therefore have no choice but to let him know that managers in the institutions are not following his instructions. For weeks, months even, we have been fighting to get information from the CISSSs and CIUSSSs on full-time and part-time jobs. Either they don’t want to give us the information, or they say they don’t have it. Without this information, we cannot begin work to increase the number of full-time jobs and we can’t begin workforce planning,” explained FIQ Vice-President Daniel Gilbert.
We at the FIQ would like to point out that the increase in targets for full-time positions for nurses, licensed practical nurses and respiratory therapists is now in the healthcare professionals’ provincial collective agreement. The collective agreement was negotiated between the FIQ and the government and was signed by the Health Minister.
“It is rather disturbing that the health network is being managed in this way. It is shocking that despite the immense power Minister Barrette gave himself, he is unable to make his wishes respected. We are ready to work and cooperate and expect the same from the institutions’ managers and the government. And if the managers still refuse to cooperate, we will ask the Minister to send us the information himself,” concluded Daniel Gilbert.