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Longueuil – The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) is sharply critical of an unprecedented offensive on the part of the government, which is attacking freedom of association and expression while claiming to make labour unions more transparent. Speaking before a parliamentary commission today, the APTS called for the immediate withdrawal of Bill 3 and urged all Quebecers to mobilize to defend basic rights.

“We’re not fooled,” said APTS president Robert Comeau. “Behind the fine words about transparency, Bill 3 is a Trojan horse concealing an underhanded attack against freedom of association and expression. This is part of the same sequence as the setbacks imposed on the right to strike. It’s not modernization – it’s an attempt to weaken democracy by silencing the forces that hold power accountable.”

Bill 3 is not really a reform designed to modernize the governance of labour unions. It is in fact a direct intrusion by the government – which employs over 68,000 APTS members – into the democratic life of workers’ associations, imposing a wall-to-wall model that jeopardizes their independence and their ability to act. The APTS believes that the labour movement should be shaped by and for its members, not by a government that is both judge and party to the case.

The APTS also notes that freedom of association is not a privilege held by unions, but a fundamental right recognized by charters of rights and freedoms. Reducing their financial resources effectively deprives them of this right. Even the Québec Bar Association has sounded the alarm, warning that the rule of law and civil liberties are under threat.

As an organization representing members over 85% of whom are women, the APTS denounces the paternalistic approach of a government claiming to “save” workers from imaginary problems instead of showing respect for the independence of their democratic processes.

A call to mobilize

The APTS encourages its members as well as civil society organizations and all Quebecers to join the rally taking place under the slogan Dans la rue, pour le Québec (“In the streets, for Québec”) on Saturday, November 29, starting at 1.30 p.m. at the Place du Canada in Montréal.

“As the government moves towards authoritarianism, we need to stand up and respond together,” concluded the APTS president. “Québec deserves better than a government that tramples on our rights and attacks our public services. On November 29, let’s see thousands of people in the streets so that our message gets through loud and clear: we won’t let our rights be destroyed by a government whose time is almost up.”

The APTS

The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 68,000 members who play a key role in ensuring that health and social services institutions run smoothly. Our members provide a wide range of services for all Quebecers, including diagnostic, rehabilitation, nutrition, psychosocial intervention, clinical support, and prevention services.