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Montréal – A big march in downtown Montréal brought together thousands of people from labour unions, community organizations, student associations and other citizens’ groups who turned out today to celebrate May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day. The marchers voiced their indignation at the many significant setbacks Quebecers have experienced in terms of economic rights, labour rights and the social safety net.

“We can’t let the government keep trampling on our rights,” said the three spokespersons of the Mouvement syndical event: CSD president Luc Vachon on behalf of the labour movement, Claudia Fiore-Leduc, mobilization officer for the RQ-ACA, on behalf of community organizations, and Clémentine Bergeron-Isabelle, vice-president of the FECQ (Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec), on behalf of the student movement. “Today, we’re marching together to tell the government that we’re resisting now – and that we’ll keep on resisting as long as it’s necessary.”

Workers under attack from all sides

This year’s slogan, “Droits piétinés, faut résister!” (“Trampled rights, time to resist!”), speaks to a disturbing reality: Quebecers are experiencing the continuous erosion of their working and living conditions.

Over the past years, workers have been hard hit by policies that undermine their gains. Specific examples include Law 4 (formerly Bill 3), which imposes a pointless and irrational bureaucratic straitjacket on labour unions and workplaces; Law 14, which weakens workers’ bargaining power and their ability to get better working conditions; and Bill 28, which establishes a discriminatory occupational health and safety regime in education, health care and social services.

Drastic cuts to public services and badly planned reorganizations are also part of the picture, as is Bill 27, which has more recently come into play. This bill will make construction sites even more dangerous and will abolish collective agreement decrees, which could cause working conditions to stagnate – or even make them worse – in a number of sectors. Meanwhile, attacks on fundamental rights are on the rise. If we look at the overall picture, what’s being directly targeted is the collective power of working people.

Women and vulnerable people (especially those holding precarious jobs), along with migrant workers and asylum seekers, are most likely to suffer the impact of deteriorating conditions.

Meanwhile, autonomous community action organizations are affected by a lack of government funding that is causing generalized exhaustion among their employees and that limits their ability to defend Quebecers’ rights. Lack of funding also helps to make women poorer, since women hold most of the jobs in this sector that plays a key role in our democracy and even in our economy. 

Beyond work: issues that affect society as a whole

Because of the housing crisis, the share of income spent on rent continues to climb, making it more and more difficult for people to access decent housing. Skyrocketing rents, abusive evictions and the appalling lack of social housing units are contributing to increased inequalities and represent a serious threat for low and modest income households. The problems and worries arising from this situation inevitably spill over into the workplace. That’s why we’re speaking up on International Workers’ Day to demand that access to decent housing be recognized as a basic right and not a privilege. 

At the same time, access to high-quality public services is under threat as the social safety net unravels. Inequalities are exacerbated by the chronic underfunding of health care, social services, education and the civil service and a greater willingness to let the private sector in; mounting pressure is experienced by workers who are carrying the full weight of these services on their shoulders.  An already fragile system is undermined by budget cuts, elimination of jobs and the relentless demands placed on community organizations. Defending the social safety net means guaranteeing universal access to essential services and making sure that wealth is equitably redistributed.

Multiple crises: economic, environmental and social 

A fair transition is absolutely necessary as economic, environmental and social crises unfold around us. This transition must be based on respect for workers’ rights and must consider the needs of the most vulnerable among us. We cannot fight climate change at the expense of people already struggling to make ends meet. A society that truly values justice will make sure that no one is left behind. 

And finally, defending rights means granting recognition and respect to countervailing powers. Labour unions, community organizations and civil society groups play a key role in protecting our rights and the vitality of our democracy. Weakening these powers means jeopardizing the fundamental balance of our society.

“Today, on International Workers’ Day, our message is clear:  it’s time to resist, get involved, and demand a society based on justice, solidarity and respect for people’s rights,” concluded the spokespersons. “Let’s stand together to defend what we have achieved and build a future that is fair for everyone.”

Sources: APTS, CSD, CSN, CSQ, FAE, FIQ, FTQ, SFPQ, SPGQ, TRPOCB, AICF, UEQ, MASSE, FRAPRU, MÉPACQ, RQ-ACA, FECQ