Montréal, 6 October 2025 — Hundreds of workers protested at noon today in Montréal against the Québec government’s Bill 101, which would establish a sexist and dangerous occupational health and safety regime for employees in the health and social services and education sectors. The Québec government, the largest employer in the province, is giving itself preferential treatment, when it should be setting an example in terms of occupational health and safety. Making all workplaces in Quebec safer starts with strong, appropriate rules that apply to everyone.

October 6, 2025 marks four years following the entry into force of An Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime, which provides for the introduction of prevention and participation mechanisms in all employment sectors in Quebec. However, hundreds of thousands of workers will potentially be excluded, as Bill 101 stipulates that the vast majority of institutions in health, social services and education, sectors dominated by women, would no longer be required to apply these mechanisms.

“Today, we are in the streets because health and social services workers deserve better. The government had promised robust prevention and participation mechanisms but ultimately is imposing a two-tier system on them that is unfair and discriminatory. We are demanding real prevention to protect those who take care of the people of Québec.”

Christine Prégent, Vice-President of the ’Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS)

Luc Vachon, President of the Centrale des syndicats démocratiques (CSD)

“It’s urgent to strengthen the occupational health and safety regime in all settings.  For too long now, governments and employers have focused on compensation and prioritized short-term savings rather than investing in prevention, believing that paying to repair employment injuries is sufficient. We must once and for all reverse this mindset and establish a strong and bold culture of prevention everywhere, because when prevention is done well, it works and pays off in the long run, both in the public and private sectors. The State, as an employer, should also set an example for other employers.”

“What’s good for all Québec employers isn’t for the largest boss in Québec, the State as employer. If the Legault government does not back down on its intention with Bill 101, it will confirm that we are being led by a sexist government that wants to give itself preferential treatment by denying its own workers the same protection afforded to others.”

Caroline Senneville, President of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)

Nadine Bédard-St-Pierre, First Vice-President of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ)

“With Bill 101, the government wants to take us back to a time when women’s jobs were less important. Preventing education and health care workers, most of whom are women, from participating fully in the management of their own occupational health and safety is tantamount to creating two classes of workers in Quebec. Let’s call a spade a spade: it’s simply discriminatory!”

“The occupational health and safety of workers in all workplaces must have the same value in the eyes of the government. However, Bill 101 creates disparities in access to prevention and participation mechanisms and exacerbates the precarious working conditions of women in the education, health and social services sectors—sectors that are predominantly female and at high risk of violence and employment injuries. This bill will fuel and perpetuate systemic discrimination against women. For an organization such as the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement, which represents more than 75% women, this is totally unacceptable, and the Minister of Labour must withdraw it.”

Mélanie Hubert, President of the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE)

Julie Daignault, Vice-President OHS of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ)

“Workers in health and social services sectors are among the most affected by employment injuries. So it makes absolutely no sense to reduce the prevention mechanisms that affect them, especially as this creates a glaring inequality with other predominantly male sectors, such as construction. Bill 101 is a major setback for the health and safety of women in the public network and the FIQ is calling on the government to reverse course immediately.” 

“Coming from the social services sector myself and considering that workplace accident rates remain very high in the education and health care sectors, it is completely unacceptable that this government is considering implementing and perpetuating inadequate prevention measures in these sectors. Does the predominance of women in these workplaces explain the government’s move in this direction?”

Vincent Leclair, General Secretary of the Conseil régional de la Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ) Montréal métropolitain (CRFTQ MM)

Félix Lapan, General Secretary of the Union des travailleuses et travailleurs accidentés ou malades (UTTAM)

“Bill 101 introduces a flawed bargaining process that violates all the principles of fair and equitable mediation for settling disputes in occupational injury cases. Thousands of victims of accidents and occupational diseases will lose their rights to compensation or treatment because of this process. This is unacceptable!”