A labor union representing workers of the Loto-Quebec said that the employer may have made some decisions related to the reduction in staff that was not necessary. According to the Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnels du gouvernement du Québec, the reduction of the staff’s workweek as well as the cuts to their payment was unjustified. They said that the current financial position of the Crown corporation does not justify such a move.

New changes made last week

Loto Quebec made the changes last week which affected as many as 470 individuals who were associated with the labor union. The union suggests that the Crown corporation is trying to save money while making some changes to how these individuals perform their work over at least the next half a year. The union members affected by the cuts represent several departments like real estate, sales and marketing, communications, finance, IT, and legal. The next six months will see major changes in how they operate.

The first change would be a reduction in their work hours. Till last week, they were expected to work for 35 hours. However, now they will work for 28 hours a week. This will also lead to an income reduction. They will experience as much as a 20% reduction in their payments. The workers were only given a couple of days of notice before the changes were implemented.

Payment reductions are problematic

The president of SPGQ, Line Lamarre, noted that the Crown corporation is looking for ways to save CA$5 million even though they are not suffering financially. He noted that the corporation has made less income over the past four months but this does not suggest that it is facing financial hardships. The lesser income does not explain the change in schedule for the union-associated individuals.

The provincial government also said that it is counting on the CA$1.37 billion allocations from Loto-Quebec. The corporation, according to Lamarre, is interested in guaranteeing sustainable profits to itself in the future. Some of the union workers have to put overtime as well because of the reopening of casinos and gambling halls in the regions.