Thousands of Quebec’s public sector workers have begun holding rotating strikes that will last until Thursday.

They are pressing for better working conditions and higher wages, namely a 13.5 per cent pay hike over three years; the government is asking for a 3 per cent raise over five years. 

The first strikes started early Monday morning in the Outaouais, Laurentians and Lanaudiere regions, among others. Tuesday, workers from the Quebec City region, northern Quebec and employees of public and parapublic institutions were out protesting.

Protesters blocked the entrance to Complexe Desjardins in downtown Montreal Tuesday morning.

Schools in the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, which serves Laval, the Laurentians and Lanaudiere region will be closed Monday and Thursday due to the strikes.

Wednesday is the designated strike day for South Shore workers, while the strikes will reach Montreal and Laval Thursday. Nearly 172,000 workers will be on strike those two days in those two regions alone, according to the Common Front coalition, which is organizing the protests.

Schools in the New Frontiers and Riverside School Boards will be closed Oct. 28. Schools in the English Montreal School Board and Lester B. Pearson School Board will be closed Oct. 29.

Schools, hospitals, clinics and government organizations will be affected, although essential services in hospitals are expected to be maintained. 

The Common Front comprises the CSN, FTQ and Quebec public workers' union.

The strike meant cancelling classes in 122 schools Monday, affecting 53,000 students.

Teachers say that working conditions are a more important issue than the wage increases.

“In the classrooms there's so much asked of us that just doesn't make sense and that's beyond what we can take,” said teacher Nathan Whatley.

Teachers want smaller class sizes and for the government to employ more teachers and social workers, said union spokesperson Caroline Proulx-Trottier.

“The learning conditions of the students are related to my working conditions, so if my working conditions are poor, their learning condition is poor,” she said.

The request for a raise is also reasonable, said Whatley.

"It doesn't really sound extreme considering over the past 20 years we haven't even had a cost of living increase. It makes it really hard to make ends meet," he said. 

"A lot of single families are led by teachers who are mums at home. A salary increase is important."

The Quebec government said while it's not good to see public sector workers on the streets,

negotiations are actually progressing

“The tone is not as negative as somebody would think,” said Martin Coiteux, head of the treasury board.

Coiteux said the government's offer is not as low as many might believe.

“We are proposing that they would progress in the salary grid, that's one thing,” he said, adding that the government will not bring in any type of new tax to help fund the public sector; the union said the government should tax businesses and the rich at a higher rate to pay teachers and nurses more.

“It's not only our public debt that is the highest in the country; our tax rates are also the highest in the country and quite frankly this affects the vigour of our economy. Our economy can grow more if we can tax people less.”

Depending on how negotiations progress, the coalition is planning more strike days Nov. 9, 10 12, 13, 16 and 17 based on the region.