Mandatory overtime: the FIQ asks the International Labour Organization to intervene to stop the forced labour of healthcare professionals
Given the inaction of the Quebec government, the FIQ and its affiliated unions participated in filing a complaint with the International Labour Office (ILO) (the permanent secretariat of the International Labour Organization) over mandatory overtime to cease the discriminatory management of primarily female healthcare professionals, which harms their health, safety and dignity.
With this act, we are denouncing the systematic use of mandatory overtime (MOT), which leaves healthcare professionals vulnerable to coercion, threats, and intimidation from their employer. The government’s tolerance of this type of forced labour is discriminatory, as it targets women who constitute the majority of its workforce. Since this practice is mostly undocumented, nobody, from the network directors to government authorities, are accountable. However, the harmful effects on the health of healthcare professionals, including depression, professional burn out, and disability are well documented.
Mandatory overtime is one of the causes of the serious workforce shortage in the Quebec health network and under no circumstances should it be considered as a solution to the problem. It is the government’s responsibility to cease tolerating this practice in the province. It has the power to force employers to take action to resolve it. Due to its inaction, it must be sternly called to order.
Solutions already exist to prevent MOT
In recent years, the FIQ and its affiliated unions have held days without MOT that were a major success since employers planned in advance, reorganized care and adjusted the service offer. This is what must be done for healthcare professionals to finally be able to have normal work days, as provided under labour laws and international standards.
The complaint was filed with the ILO on February 10, 2022. The FIQ is asking the Committee of Experts to issue recommendations so that Canada and Quebec uphold their duty to ensure zero tolerance of the use of forced labour within its jurisdiction.