Quebec unions reject new offer, ask for more money as Legault demands flexibility

The coalition of public sector unions set to begin a week-long strike Friday say they've declined the government's latest offer because it didn't include a sufficient pay raise or enough to improve working conditions.

Meanwhile, the premier once again highlighted the government's demand for flexibility in any new collective agreement. 

The common front, known in French as the Front commun, represents about 420,000 public sector workers in education, health and social services.

Magali Picard, the president of the the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec, one of the unions in the common front, said at a morning press conference in Quebec City that the government's latest offer of a 12.7 per cent salary increase over five years was "very far" from what the unions were asking for. 

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"If we agreed to a 12.7 per cent increase it would be a step back for provincial public servants, a step back that we don't want," she said.

The unions and the government were still far from finding common ground on salary increases, which the unions say must keep pace with inflation, and improving working conditions.

The Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE), which represents about 65,000 teachers in the province, said in a news release that it had also rejected the government's latest offer and proposed a counter-offer.

The counter-offer includes the teachers' demand to reduce class sizes and have a reduced workload.

The FAE strike has forced many French-language schools to close, keeping approximately 368,000 students at home. 

When the week-long common front strike begins Friday, all public schools in the province will close. 

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Unions representing half a million health, social services and education workers in Quebec have begun to provide strike dates as negotiations with the government drag on.

The impasse with the unions drew frustrated comments from Premier François Legault on Thursday morning.

Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly, he said there needs to be more flexibility in union dealings.

"For decades, we've been unable to improve services in education and health care because of the rigidity of collective agreements. We just can't," he said. "Let me give you an example: if a manager agrees with an employee on a work schedule, the union may reject it."