About 1,000 doctors tell the Canadian provincial government they don’t want pay increase

About 1,000 Quebec doctors have drawn out a petition to their Government saying they don’t want pay increase. They have asked their Government to use the money meant for their salary increase to promote the health of the population and meet the needs of patients.

Quebec’s federation of medical specialists reached a deal in February with the provincial government, which saw the annual salary of 10,000 medical specialists rise from $4.7 billion to $5.4 billion in 2023 – an increase of 1.4 per cent each year. The province’s health minister, Gaétan Barrette, says if the doctors want to give up their raise, they can do so, no problem. “If they feel they are overpaid, they can leave the money on the table. I guarantee you I can make good use of it,” he said.

The doctors petition was started in February after the Canadian opposition parties blasted the government for the size of the payout, given the fact that Quebec specialists now make more than their counterparts everywhere in Canada except for 2 other provinces.

The Petition which has garnered close to a 1,000 signatures now reads:

“We, Quebec doctors who believe in a strong public system, oppose the recent salary increases negotiated by our medical federations.

These increases are all the more shocking because our nurses, clerks, clerks and other professionals face very difficult working conditions, while our patients live with the lack of access to required services because of the drastic cuts in recent years. and the centralization of power in the Ministry of Health. The only thing that seems to be immune to the cuts is our remuneration ….

Contrary to the Prime Minister’s statements, we believe that there is a way to redistribute the resources of the Quebec health system to promote the health of the population and meet the needs of patients without pushing workers to the end.

We, Quebec doctors, are asking that the salary increases granted to physicians be canceled and that the resources of the system be better distributed for the good of the health care workers and to provide health services worthy to the people of Quebec.”