Montreal demonstrators call for ecological transition built on workers’ needs

A few hundred people mobilized Saturday at noon at the foot of Mount Royal to demand immediate action for an ecological transition built around the needs of workers.

With green scarves around their necks and green ribbons in their hands, participants formed a human chain on Park Ave. in Montreal. They then took to the streets to denounce the slowness of governments to reach the target of the Paris Agreement.

Organizers say they chose Mount Royal “to highlight the importance of protecting the environment.”

“Scientists keep warning us, we must listen to them,” organizers said in a statement. “If we don’t take significant action to address the situation and meet the target, we are all headed for disaster.”

A coalition of unions took the opportunity to voice their opinions. They say they want to see a more sustainable climate-friendly economy, but also want a seat at the table.

“Climate change means we need to rethink and change the format of the economy,” says Anne Dionne, Centrale des syndicats du Québec vice president.

“You think economy, you think workers. So it’s important for us to be part of the solution.”

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Dionne adds that many workers will be impacted as the economy shifts to more environmentally-friendly industries.

“A lot of those workers are going to lose their job if we actually are going to get out of the fossil energies. So we need to think right now.”

A spokesperson for Greenpeace agrees with Dionne. Patrick Bonin, a climate and energy campaigner, says governments need to be more proactive.

“We need government to come up with transition plans. Plans made with workers, for workers, for communities,” says Bonin. “We must move away from fossil fuels.”

In September, several thousand demonstrators took to downtown Montreal to denounce the apathy of governments in the face of the climate crisis, despite the urgency to act.

The event was organized by the Réseau intersyndical pour le climat as part of the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice, which is on Nov. 6. The COP26 summit in Glasgow is currently taking place at the same time.

–with files from the Canadian Press