Written by By Rachael Arthurs, CNN
Families of Quebec children face the prospect of closed child care centers for a fourth consecutive day on Tuesday as unionized child care workers go on strike.
The current dispute has paralyzed roughly 3,000 child care spaces across the province, affecting about 210,000 families, according to a statement from the Quebec Conseil des gestes et des travailleurs des villes et enfants (CGTQ).
Social workers, doctors and public service employees also take part in the strike.
New reports revealed in testimony before the National Assembly in August have called attention to abuses in the daycare system and the ineffectiveness of regulation.
Three baby beds, a secure play area and kitchen included in family-run daycare center in Montreal
Sixty-six provincial inspectors have been absent during an eight-month period in 2018, according to Le Devoir newspaper.
Also during that time, the Centre québécois de la révolution des élites has discontinued home-based daycare, citing “deaths that are a consequence of the unmanageable circumstances of infants.”
Daycare strikes are a common occurrence in Canada, but this strike is particularly embarrassing for the PQ government in Quebec. It’s being widely publicized throughout Quebec, including on billboards and in the media.
Commenting on the strike, Legault said the shutdown was “not acceptable.”
“We can no longer allow, nor will we tolerate, unfair practices in the sector,” he said.
Earlier this month, the PQ government established a $1.3 billion fund to help consumers buy daycare, childcare and home daycare.