Not a declaration of war on unions: Jean Boulet

On Wednesday, Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet denied wanting a “confrontation” with the unions or a “declaration of war.”

During his cabinet reshuffle last week, Premier François Legault asked him to have “the courage to modernize the union system,” which labour groups perceived as a frontal attack.

The premier even suggested in an interview with LCN that he was ready to wage “war” on the unions.

Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) leader Pablo Rodriguez sees this as a government seeking confrontation, but he also believes that unions have more power in Quebec than elsewhere.

“This is not a declaration of war,” Boulet repeated during a brief press scrum on Wednesday before heading to the cabinet meeting.

“This is not a confrontation, it is a balance between the exercise of the right to strike and respect for the basic needs of a population affected by conflicts,” he continued.

He did not want to elaborate further on the proposed changes and said he was continuing to reflect on the matter.

“I’m not talking about breaking, but about making progress,” the minister assured.

The PLQ deplored the tone of Legault’s statements, judging them to be unnecessarily provocative.

“If he announces in advance that there’s going to be trouble, there’s going to be trouble, that’s for sure,” Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez said in a press scrum at the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.

“It creates a very tense climate, whether with doctors, unions, or others. And I don’t think it’s good for society.”

He also notes that unions have more power in Quebec than elsewhere in Canada.

“I think they recognize that. It’s a fact. I haven’t seen that anywhere else in Canada.”

Last week, after Legault’s speech at his cabinet reshuffle, the president of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), Caroline Senneville, reacted strongly.

“François Legault started this war; he’s the one attacking,” she said.

This is not the CAQ government’s first standoff with the unions.

More recently, in May, it passed Bill 89, which aims to limit the right to strike by expanding essential services and giving the minister more powers to end labour disputes.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews