Unionized Quebec nurses are demanding "more humanity" in the health-care system, saying it means better working conditions and more time to care for patients.
Representatives with the CSQ-affiliated Fédération de la Santé du Québec (FSQ), which represents 5,000 nurses, nursing assistants and other care professionals, are debating a declaration for "more humanity in health care" on Tuesday.
While Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé says he wants to expand the private health care sector, the federation argues nurses must be brought back to the public domain by making working conditions more attractive.
FSQ president Isabelle Dumaine maintains that bringing nurses back to the public network requires an end to mandatory overtime and real efforts to create work-life balance.
The union leader has criticized the Legault government for governing by decrees and ministerial orders, saying it unilaterally decides nurses' premiums and other working conditions.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 26, 2022.
