Mediation discussions with medical specialists are set to resume on Monday, October 14, according to two ministers from the Legault government who confirmed the news on Friday.
Treasury Board President France-Élaine Duranceau and Health Minister Christian Dubé stated in a written communication that both parties have agreed to “proceed with ongoing discussions.”
The negotiations had been paused since last Tuesday when the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists (FMSQ) mentioned that government negotiators needed to validate their mandate.
The FMSQ expressed that talks were progressing positively until the point when “our counterparts reiterated their commitment to work under the framework of Bill 106.”
As a result, both sides decided to temporarily halt mediation to allow government representatives to confirm the extent of their mandate.
Bill 106, which seeks to tie a portion of doctors’ compensation to performance metrics, is seen as a critical sticking point in the discussions.
In a recent development, Minister Dubé announced that the legislation would be temporarily suspended to prioritize the mediation process.
“To avoid disrupting the ongoing process, we will refrain from further comments at this time,” stated Duranceau and Dubé in their joint message to the media on Friday.
