Where are our premiums? The government and Santé Québec need to quit passing the buck
January 23, 2025
Drummondville – This morning, the APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) unfurled a banner over Autoroute 20 in Drummondville, with the message in French “Health and social services: where are our premiums?”, denouncing the unacceptable delays in the payment of many negotiated premiums, the deadline for which was October 5, 2024.
“Three and a half months past the deadline, our members are still waiting for the amounts promised to be paid,” said APTS president Robert Comeau. “These premiums are essential to recognize their efforts and foster retention in demanding work environments. The government needs to act now and stop shirking its commitments.”
The goal of these premiums, negotiated over a year ago, is to support professionals and technicians who work in difficult contexts or on unfavourable shifts, for example, evenings, nights and weekends, or in youth protection or with clients with severe behaviour disorders.
“This situation only adds to the already palpable frustration in health and social services,” said Robert Comeau. “We are calling on Santé Québec to assume its responsibility in operational management to solve the problem as soon as possible and pay interest at the legal rate to compensate for the unacceptable delays.”
The APTS will continue to step up measures and efforts to ensure its 65,000 members quickly receive the amounts due to them.
“At great expense, the government has handed over operational management to “top guns,” so we can legitimately ask what Santé Québec is for if the agency can’t manage the payment of premiums negotiated nearly one year ago,” said Robert Comeau. “Is it because it’s too busy imposing budget cuts on health and social services? We demand that Santé Québec take responsibility and solve this problem quickly.”
The APTS
The APTS (Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux) represents more than 65,000 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.
