QUEBEC CITY – A longstanding dispute between the Quebec government and the Quebec Doctors Federation (FMOQ) has finally ended, Health Minister Gaetan Barrette announced Wednesday.
In an agreement in principal with the government, general practitioners agreed to spread their pay hikes over the next eight years.
“No matter what we will have to tackle, it will be for the patient and obviously putting back public finances in order in this province is absolutely necessary for us to provide better service to people,” said Barrette.
The Liberal government had originally wanted to stagger the $1.2 billion raise over nine years.
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The FMOQ had asked to spread the raises over six years, but later revised their request to seven.
“Without that agreement, I believe that we could not have come back to zero deficit by 2016,” said Barrette.
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Speaking to reporters in Quebec City, Premier Philippe Couillard thanked the doctors for taking the province’s financial constraints into consideration during negotiations.
“It’s an agreement that is good for Quebec and Quebecers,” he said.
“I’m happy that doctors in Quebec see the situation we’re in and decided to be part of the solution in order to bring us back to budget balance.”
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Barrette confirmed a similar announcement with the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists is expected Wednesday afternoon.
Negotiations on pay rises with the two federations were necessary for the government to meet its promise of balancing the province’s finances by 2015-2016.
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“It’s just going to be spread in time, no doctor will see his or her income go down in coming years,” said Couillard.
The agreement includes a salary increase in 2015-2016.
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