Quebec government meets with public workers' unions
Treasury Board President Martin Coiteux requests meeting after progress in bargaining talks
Quebec Treasury Board president Martin Coiteux is meeting the leaders of the unions representing about 400,000 public workers across the province.
Coiteux asked for the meeting in Quebec City on Wednesday afternoon, after considerable progress was made in bargaining talks.
The government said it has more than doubled its offer of a salary increase, from three per cent to 7.5 per cent over five years.
However, union leaders said they remain skeptical that the increase would apply to everyone.
The government has also had to back down on a demand for the age of retirement to be set at 62.
The current retirement age is 60.
Quebec's public sector workers, which include teachers, health care professionals, white-collar workers and caretakers, have been without a collective agreement since April.
In recent weeks, they have been holding rotating strike days as a pressure tactic to show their dissatisfaction with the state of negotiations.
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Officials in Coiteux's office said they are hoping for an agreement before Christmas.