Quebec government accused of trying to dismantle daycare system by employees

Quebec’s public daycare workers and their supporters took to the streets of Montreal Saturday to put pressure on the provincial government during ongoing negotiations for a new agreement.

The Quebec Federation of Early Childhood Workers (FIPEQ) —  a union representing 11,700 childcare providers and 2,400 educators — is accusing the government of trying to dismantle the province’s network of public daycares.

“The government is trying to take advantage of current negotiations to finish what it started with the budget cuts of recent years,” FIPEQ president Valérie Grenon said in a written statement.

READ MORE: Protesters demand Quebec government reinvest in public daycares

For Sonia Ethier, with the Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ) an umbrella organization representing several unions, the government is showing a lack of respect towards public daycare workers.

“Public daycare workers have worked very hard to ensure that the impact of the hundreds of millions in budget cuts not be felt too greatly by the children in their care,” Ethier said, explaining in a written statement that despite these efforts, the government was expecting them to accept unfair working conditions.

READ MORE: Quebec injects $60 million into daycares to help prepare for looming cuts

The unions are calling on the provincial Liberal government to improve services for children with special needs and to introduce a measure that would allow for a progressive return to work following a disability.

WATCH BELOW: Public daycare debate

1:53 Quebec public daycare protests

• Quebec public daycare protests
• Quebec daycare demonstrations
• Daycare budget cuts

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They also want wage increases that would be in line with the provincial average and a more equitable contribution by the government to the union’s insurance plan.

READ MORE: More protests planned against Quebec daycares funding

According to the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN) the network of public daycares in the province provides services to around 400,000 children.

Rallies were also held in three other cities across the province, including Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Rouyn-Noranda.

–With files from the Canadian Press