Quebec union group concerned about violence in schools, child labour

A major Quebec union group is concerned about violence in schools and child labour and highlighted both issues at a news conference at the beginning of the year.

The Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), which has a majority of members working in the education sector, is concerned that the phenomenon of violence in schools is well and truly present and that acts of violence even occur in preschools and are unfortunately commonplace.

CSQ president Éric Gingras is pleading with society as a whole, and not just the school, to send a message of "zero tolerance" for violence.

As for child labour, the union leader invited Minister of Labour Jean Boulet to table his bill to regulate it as promised and "not to give in" to pressure from employers.

He said that because of the scarcity of labour, some employers hire young people aged 12 or 13.

The CSQ president said that work can be detrimental to academic success, depending on the number of hours spent on it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 9, 2023.