While negotiations which have lasted for 22 months seem to be at an impasse, employees of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) launched a 24-hour strike Thursday in branches across the province.
• Also read: Strike at the SAQ: here are the branches that are open today
The union affiliated with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), which represents SAQ workers, criticizes the “odious” behavior of the management party which refuses to address certain issues at the negotiating table.
“For two years we have been told, regarding each request that could have a financial impact, that we would discuss it after having settled the normative clauses,” indicated the president of the union, Lisa Courtemanche, in a press release Thursday. .
“We feel cheated,” she added.
In addition to the salary offer of 16.5% over six years that the union deplored, the striking employees also criticize the SAQ for wanting to lower group health insurance benefits, according to the union.
“It is normal for employees to want to improve their working conditions, as is the case during any collective agreement negotiation,” mentioned the vice-president of the Federation of Public Service Employees. , Stephanie Gratton.
In negotiations for their second collective agreement, the workers, who say they are marked by the abolition of dozens of regular positions at the start of the year, also want to limit the use of precarious labor to ensure the day-to-day operations of the company. state corporation.
“At the SAQ, nearly 70% of employees work part-time and on call,” lamented the first vice-president of the CSN, François Enault, before asserting that “it takes 12 years before ‘have a regular job’.
“Great progress”
For its part, the SAQ estimated that in recent weeks, “good progress” had been made while “an agreement on the entire normative aspect” was found.
The company stressed that it had started negotiating the monetary aspect with the submission of a first salary offer and that a second meeting is planned for this Friday with the union.
“Since the start of these negotiations, our objective has been to reach an agreement that is satisfactory both for the SAQ and for our employees. […] it is time for it to be resolved,” we can read in a press release.
The SAQ also emphasizes that “some of the branches will open their doors” despite everything on Thursday.
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