Revenu Quebec union announces evening and weekend strike action

Professionals working for Revenu Quebec will go on strike evenings and weekends starting Jan. 18.

The workers in question are tax auditors, tax investigation professionals, tax collection and evaluation professionals and information technology professionals, for example.

There are 5,850 of them, members of the Syndicat des professionnels du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ) -- a large union independent of the central labour bodies.

These union members still have separate bargaining from public sector employees, although their union also represents professionals in the public service.

The SPGQ announced on Wednesday that its members will only work from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday, during the strike.

This is not the first time that the SPGQ has resorted to this type of evening and weekend strike.

The union explains that, traditionally, activities to maintain administrative and IT systems are carried out outside normal office hours, so as not to interfere with day-to-day operations.

It is therefore these activities that will be most disrupted.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 8, 2024.