Unions decry arrival of Sante Quebec, APTS demonstrates

A union demonstrates against the creation of Santé Québec on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (Stephane Giroux/CTV News)

The arrival of Santé Québec, the new agency responsible for coordinating health care operations in the province, has sparked discontent among major unions.

The Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS) is demonstrating Monday, claiming the François Legault government is "turning a deaf ear to what workers in the health care and social services networks need."

Members are demonstrating in front of the agency's new Montreal office, which opened its doors on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Fédération de la Santé du Québec (FSQ-CSQ) and the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) say they have chosen to show their reticence by launching an ad campaign.

They say the arrival of Santé Québec will have little positive impact on public care compared to the cuts and hiring freeze imposed by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government.

The Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) says things will be "chaos" as the agency is engulfed in a "cloud of uncertainty" and "improvisation" in the context of provincial budget cuts.

Santé Québec is now the sole employer of 330,000 health care workers.

Its job is to coordinate the operations of Quebec's health care network, as well as attract and retain staff.

In an open letter published last weekend, Santé Québec President and CEO Geneviève Biron acknowledged that transforming the network "will realistically take a few years."

However, she insists that it is "possible to do better," by increasing mobility, eliminating replicated tasks and sharing tools and best practices effectively.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 2, 2024.