While significant progress has been made in recent hours in negotiations between the Quebec government and education unions, talks with the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec are still at an impasse.

Despite the resumption of work at the negotiating table, a rapid agreement was reached on the renewal of the collective agreement of the 80,000 nurses and other health workers who are part of the collective agreement FIQ seems increasingly unlikely.

It doesn't look like it's going to happen very quickly.said Marguerite Denis, assistant nurse at Santa Cabrini Hospital, in an interview with RDI on Thursday.

“I’m a little discouraged by the government,” she continued. I think the biggest issue, at least for me, is patient care. We have such a heavy workload, we have so many difficult conditions… I personally am not able to provide my patients with the care that I would like to provide them.

The tricky salary question

In addition to working conditions, the salary issue continues to divide the two camps.

In December the FIQ demanded a 20% increase for its members over a period of 4 years. In return, the state government offered him 12.7% over 5 years.

The problem is that we have two parties that tend to be stuck in their positionsexplained Pierre-David Gagné, a nurse in the operating room at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital, in an interview with RDI on Thursday.

I expect it to be difficult and perhaps a long time. “I’m not sure we’ll achieve anything before the end of January,” Mr Gagné said. We will have no choice but to add water to our wine on both sides.

But several union members of the FIQ say they are willing to be patient and take the time necessary to reach an agreement that truly recognizes the importance of their role in the health system.

The negotiating committee of the FIQ Nevertheless, work continues on an agreement. He announced on Friday afternoon that he had submitted a new offer to the leadership party.

At the suggestion of the arbitrator accompanying the negotiations, the FIQ also announces a media break until January 15th, to create favorable conditions for an agreement.

Therefore, all efforts will be put into the negotiations, which will continue intensively without being disturbed by inappropriate statements.the association states in a press release.

– With information from Charlotte Dumoulin