Quebec government engineers are escalating their strike, which will become a general and indefinite strike effective July 6.
Currently, the indefinite strike by members of the Professional Association of Quebec Government Engineers (APIGQ) takes place every Thursday, as well as in the evenings and on weekends.
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The APIGQ represents some 1,900 engineers employed by the Quebec government, primarily at the Ministry of Transport, but also at the ministries of Municipal Affairs, the Environment, Natural Resources, and Cybersecurity.
Their collective bargaining agreement expired on March 31, 2023, at the same time as those of other employees in the public and parapublic sectors.
The dispute centers primarily on the allocation of a “sector-specific budget,” with funding that would allow for salary increases exceeding the 17.4 per cent over five years granted to all government employees.
The APIGQ believes that, given the infrastructure crisis, engineers—who plan and supervise construction projects—should be considered a priority category of workers and, as such, should be eligible for this “sector-specific budget” intended to fund specific benefits.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
