Negotiations break down between doctors’ federation, CAQ government over salary reform

The doctors’ federation says negotiations with the Quebec government aimed at improving the reform of the remuneration system have ended.

Instead, it will meet directly with Premier François Legault in the next few days, The Canadian Press confirmed.

“This morning, the government went back on its word by refusing to amend Bill 2 to reflect an agreement we could have reached, despite the Premier’s formal commitment last week,” the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens (FMOQ) posted on social media Thursday morning.

Treasury Board President France-Élaine Duranceau expressed her disappointment and confusion following the announcement.

The spokesperson for the FMOQ said that nothing was working and that the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government remained steadfast in its position.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Duranceau maintained that the government has “shown openness” in negotiations and was “surprised” by the FMOQ’s comments.

However, Duranceau refused to say whether the government could walk back its decision to tie pay to performance — the issue at the heart of the dispute. The law would also impose penalties if targets are not met.

“We want to change their remuneration so we need to talk about how to get there,” she said.

Doctors have staunchly opposed the law, with some threatening to close their practice, retire early or move to another province if it is not suspended. They say they’re already overloaded and don’t have the necessary resources.

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“Bill 2 is fundamentally a bad law, in the opinion of all experts in the Quebec health care community and even beyond,” said the FMOQ.

“However, it is clear that the CAQ government does not realize the devastating impact that Bill 2 is already having on the health-care system. With each passing day, the damage is becoming more entrenched and more pronounced.”

Negotiations are aimed at finding “realistic” solutions “that will make everyone happy” in the “current context” and availability of resources, Duranceau said.

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She added that her administration already showed its will to change how to label patients’ vulnerability levels, adding resources for family doctors’ groups and not to touch certain fees.

Last week, FMOQ President Marc-André Amyot met personally with Legault to find possible ways out of the current impasse and restart negotiations that have been at a standstill for weeks.

At the time, the Premier said the meeting was “constructive.”

The Treasury Board president stressed that “having disagreements is not the same as walking away from the negotiation table” and said she wants to bargain.

The law, known as Bill 2, was adopted under closure Oct. 25 and goes into effect Jan. 1.

Duranceau said it’s imperative to come to an agreement before then, adding the law would apply as-is if a compromise isn’t reached.

Last year, Health Minister Christian Dubé promised that every Quebecer will have access to a health professional by the summer of 2026.

With files from The Canadian Press