Broken Government
Labour unions in Quebec have for far too long been the tail that wags the dog. Government has traditionally been in thrall to the support of Quebec unions. It's not very surprising for a government and a province that considers itself to be 'progressive', and is dedicated to addressing itself as a liberal-left society.
Matching that is the comfortable position that organized crime seems to have found for itself in the province. It too appears to have made (in)credible inroads in the accommodation of government to its presence and influence. But then unions in and of themselves don't need the collaboration of criminal gangs to aid them in coercing government.
They're quite capable themselves of behaving like thugs, and they do, whenever they judge the situation calls for it. And since the government of Quebec is currently in the throes (once again) of attempting to curb the influence of construction unions, the unions are fighting back as only they can.
Quebec's Labour Minister Lise Theriault has reported receiving violent threats. Should the Charest government not back down (again) and proceed with its intention to remove from the Quebec Federation of Labour the privilege they have taken unto themselves of determining who will be employed where, rather than leave employer entrepreneurs to make their own hiring decisions, Lise Theriault may end up with broken legs.
She, on the other hand, as a government minister in the Liberal Cabinet sitting in the National Assembly, has recourse to official protection from those threats. Other women, those working in the construction industry themselves, who face daily threats, oppression and other maltreatment have few protections. A parliamentary commission is hearing testimony from the committee for the defence of women's rights in the construction industry.
And they're getting an earful. Sylvie Deraspe, head of the volunteer committee, described how one woman whom she had arranged to testify at the legislature was forced to stay home after she was "beaten up" by a colleague on the North Shore work site. "She was assaulted by a QFL member. She had muscles and ribs crushed by steel-toe boots because the guy was unhappy with what she said", Ms. Deraspe explained.
Two other women working on the construction site of La Romaine in northern Quebec were taken by ambulance from their workplace after having been assaulted. "This is a cry from the heart. We can't take it any more. Women in the construction (industry) are tired of being assaulted, discriminated and victims of violence", she pleaded.
The government's proposed bill would limit unions' power to select which workers get job site assignments. Enabling instead the employers to select workers from an eligible employees list. Including those who chose not to belong to the union.
Past time to teach the unions that they must obey the laws of the land and it is the lawmakers, not the unions who make those laws.
Matching that is the comfortable position that organized crime seems to have found for itself in the province. It too appears to have made (in)credible inroads in the accommodation of government to its presence and influence. But then unions in and of themselves don't need the collaboration of criminal gangs to aid them in coercing government.
They're quite capable themselves of behaving like thugs, and they do, whenever they judge the situation calls for it. And since the government of Quebec is currently in the throes (once again) of attempting to curb the influence of construction unions, the unions are fighting back as only they can.
Quebec's Labour Minister Lise Theriault has reported receiving violent threats. Should the Charest government not back down (again) and proceed with its intention to remove from the Quebec Federation of Labour the privilege they have taken unto themselves of determining who will be employed where, rather than leave employer entrepreneurs to make their own hiring decisions, Lise Theriault may end up with broken legs.
She, on the other hand, as a government minister in the Liberal Cabinet sitting in the National Assembly, has recourse to official protection from those threats. Other women, those working in the construction industry themselves, who face daily threats, oppression and other maltreatment have few protections. A parliamentary commission is hearing testimony from the committee for the defence of women's rights in the construction industry.
And they're getting an earful. Sylvie Deraspe, head of the volunteer committee, described how one woman whom she had arranged to testify at the legislature was forced to stay home after she was "beaten up" by a colleague on the North Shore work site. "She was assaulted by a QFL member. She had muscles and ribs crushed by steel-toe boots because the guy was unhappy with what she said", Ms. Deraspe explained.
Two other women working on the construction site of La Romaine in northern Quebec were taken by ambulance from their workplace after having been assaulted. "This is a cry from the heart. We can't take it any more. Women in the construction (industry) are tired of being assaulted, discriminated and victims of violence", she pleaded.
The government's proposed bill would limit unions' power to select which workers get job site assignments. Enabling instead the employers to select workers from an eligible employees list. Including those who chose not to belong to the union.
Past time to teach the unions that they must obey the laws of the land and it is the lawmakers, not the unions who make those laws.
Labels: Economy, Human Relations, Human Rights, Quebec
posted by Pieface | 7:55 PM
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