Premiums: the government is once again completely out of touch with reality!
The premiums announced today by the Conseil du trésor, which are non-cumulative, do not correspond at all to the healthcare professionals’ expectations. Several centres of activities in the health and social services network are completely left out.
“A large majority of our members will not be paid the 8% premium, even though they are in contact with patients with or possibly with COVID-19. It makes no sense and is unfair! This gesture may have been well intentioned, but it totally misses the mark”, stated the president of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec –FIQ, Nancy Bédard.
For several weeks now, the FIQ has been demanding an additional remuneration of 5% for all healthcare professionals whose normal working conditions have given way to crisis conditions where the risk is ever-present. To that would be added an additional premium representing 14% of the salary for professionals risking their health every day by being in direct contact with patients with COVID-19, or suspected to be.
The government knows the healthcare professionals’ needs in this exceptional context. They have decided to turn a deaf ear and announce premiums out of touch with the field, without recognizing the scope of the efforts required by all the healthcare professionals everywhere in the network.
“We had to drag basic protection measures out of the government, reminded the president of the FIQ, Nancy Bédard. As since the beginning of the crisis, the government is out of touch with the reality in the field, stated Nancy Bédard. No healthcare professional is a second-class worker.”
“The president of the Conseil du trésor says his door is always open to talk with the labour organizations. Therefore, we will continue working for the healthcare professionals, who deserve full recognition, at a time when they must make an extraordinary adjustment that shatters their daily professional and personal lives.”