Quebec wants to extend work week hours for health-care, social service workers

A testing swab is pictured at a drive by screening clinic at Ste-Justine Children Hospital in Montreal on Thursday, March 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

As part of its negotiations with public sector unions, Quebec wants to extend the work week for some employees in the health and social services network from 35 to 37.5 hours.

About 10 job titles would be affected, such as medical technology externs, criminologists, health technicians working in medical laboratories, medical imaging technicians and others, said Josée Fréchette, first vice-president of the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) in an interview on Friday.

Fréchette recalled that there is a scarcity of manpower in the health and social services sector and that existing workers are often exhausted.

"For us, this is not an improvement. We are in contradiction because the government wants to attract, retain people and give good conditions and, at the same time, we increase the hours of work," she said.

In its offer, Quebec also wants to "redefine what constitutes overtime," she noted.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 14, 2023.