QUEBEC CITY – Pressure is mounting for Health Minister Gaétan Barrette to leave the negotiating table.
The government wants to balance its budget in 2015-2016 and Barrette has been trying to convince doctors for four months now to push back their pay increases.
But negotiations veered off course Wednesday when Quebec’s Federation of Medical Specialists took to the microphones to air their grievances.
“We want him to treat us with respect.”
“Dr. Barrette went a bit too far in saying that we were not open for discussion, that we were not giving away any money, that we didn’t want to open the timeline of negotiations,” said QFMS President Diane Francoeur. “We are not there at all.”
As a compromise, Francoeur said the specialists are willing to accept a salary freeze this year, and half of their expected raise the following year.
“Their position is such that the $1.2 billion that we have to spread over time, they want to spread that amount of money over a couple of years,” Barrette said.
“If we were to do so, we would put Quebec back into a severe deficit up to $1 billion, which is obviously unacceptable.”
“With specialists, it’s very difficult.”
Barrette would rather roll back doctors’ negotiated pay increases over nine years.
Coalition Avenir Quebec leader François Legault also threw in his two cents.
“Mr. Barrette is putting a lot of energy trying to postpone a problem for the next government,” he said.
The CAQ believes Barrette could find the money to pay doctors quickly by streamlining the healthcare system.
But for now, the issue is far from settled. Negotiations have hit a wall and both camps now waiting to see who will flinch first.
“They are going to do the same with all other unions, and we will not accept that,” Francoeur told reporters.
“This issue could be resolved quite quickly, but it cannot be resolved if you don’t put numbers on the table,” Barrette concluded.
The Parti Québécois asked on Wednesday that Barrette be replaced at the negotiating table by President of the Treasury Board, Martin Coiteux.
The Health Minister, who has no intention of stepping aside, is giving specialists two more weeks to settle, after which he warned he will pass a special law.
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