MONTREAL (CUP) – Student groups across Québec are pushing for a general strike to counter the province’s apparent plans to introduce post-secondary funding cutbacks.
The Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSE), which represents roughly 50,000 Québec students, are busy mobilizing student groups across the province to send a strong message to Jean Charest’s Liberal government that funding cutbacks are unacceptable.
A general strike is the most effective way to avoid possible cuts to the university system, said François Baillargeon, ASSE spokesperson.
“We now have six student groups that support a general strike and we think we can mobilize more than that,” said ASSE internal secretary André Munro.
“We have decided to wait until we have at least 15 student associations with a strike mandate before we set a date,” he continued.Munro believes that to successfully negotiate with Pierre Reid, minister of education, student groups must have leverage to bring to the table.
“We have no problem with negotiating with the minister of education,” he said. “But it’s dangerous to try and negotiate if you don’t have any bargaining power.” Munro said that throughout the history of post-secondary education in Québec, striking has always been the most useful tool students have to fight government decisions that threaten the quality and accessibility of education.
“If you look at 1996, when 10 associations went on strike, it stopped the lifting of the tuition freeze,” said Munro.We’re facing a similar situation now.”
He also said the government is aware of the current mobilization among student groups and it has already had an effect on some of their decisions.
“The parliamentary committee on the future of education was supposed to meet this fall. Now they have postponed it to February and I think they’re waiting to see just how many students are upset with what is happening.”
