The strike of 1,800 state engineers worries Bitume Québec, which is alarmed by its financial impact on the sector, calling on the protagonists to quickly resume negotiations.

The Professional Association of Government Engineers of Quebec (APIGQ) has been on an indefinite strike since April 22 to demand a catch-up salary because its members are the lowest paid in the public sector.

Bitume Québec deplores the “major” repercussions on project deadlines that will inevitably be caused by the disengagement of engineers with delays that are difficult to make up for when they return to work.

"The member companies of the association, like the thousands of workers, are currently caught between a rock and a hard place, as if hostage, in this conflict which has negative repercussions not only on users, but also on businesses,” the organization’s president, Tytus Zurawski, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Refusing to comment on the legitimacy of union demands or employer offers, the organization believes that the persistence of this conflict risks wreaking havoc in terms of staff retention in these times of labor shortage.

“It would be tragic for many companies who must also deal with the phenomenon of the scarcity of the workforce,” added Mr. Zurawski, apprehending possible instability in terms of employment.