Quebec's provincial unions have confirmed they will hold ten days of rotating strikes in October and November, followed by a three-day general strike at the beginning of December.
Five days of rotating strikes will begin on Monday Oct. 26 in rural areas, with strikes in Quebec City on Tuesday, and in Montreal and Laval on Thursday Oct. 29.
The second round of rotating strikes will begin on Nov. 9, with workers in each region refusing to work for two consecutive days. The final two days of that round will be Nov. 16 and 17 in Montreal and Laval.
On Dec. 1, 2, and 3 all unionized provincial employees in Quebec will hold a general strike.
The unions say the strikes can be avoided if the government shows good faith in barganining -- although Thursday government ministers said there has been much progress made during contract negotiations over the past few weeks.
"The majority of unions composing the Common Front have a strike mandate. It's a strike mandate that we want to exercise in a gradual fashion," said Francine Levesque of the CSN.
"We want a gradual increase in pressure because our objective is to let negotiations advance."
The Common Front of employees consists of teachers, health care workers and civil servants in many fields. Nurses are not part of the common front, and their union says there are no strikes planned.
They are pressing for higher wages, namely a 13.5 percent pay hike over three years.
The provincial government says it can only afford a 3 percent pay hike over five years at it attempts to reduce Quebec's public debt.
The government also wants to raise the age when workers become eligible for their pension from 60 to 62.
