Protesters gathered in front of Bombardier headquarters in Montreal, Sunday afternoon, to continue to voice their outrage over large salary increases awarded to company executives, amid thousands of employee layoffs and taxpayer-backed subsidies.
Following public uproar, the company agreed to defer more than half of the US$32.6 million the executives received in compensation in 2016 until 2020.
READ MORE: Bombardier delays executive pay hikes amid public outcry
The protesters also took aim at the Quebec government, marching from Bombardier HQ to Premier Philippe Couillard’s Montreal office.
Both the Parti Québécois and the Coalition Avenir Quebec urged the premier to intervene and force Bombardier to abandon salary hikes for its top directors, with the PQ tabling a motion in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Quebec opposition parties call delayed executive raises at Bombardier a ‘scandal’
The motion was defeated with 61 MNAs voting against it and 43 in favour.
Organizers of Sunday’s protest said the aim of the gathering was twofold.
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The immediate goal was to pressure Bombardier executives to forego the delayed salary increases, but the group is also hoping the government will implement new safeguards to prevent a repeat of a similar situation.
— With files from The Canadian Press