/R E P E A T -- Despite a possible strike on May 5, Héma-Québec invites the
population to donate blood/

MONTREAL, May 3 /CNW Telbec/ - The population is invited to give blood generously despite the announcement made by three of Héma-Québec's nine unions of a possible strike on May 5 in the Greater Montréal area and western Québec.

On April 29, Héma-Québec and union representatives agreed to maintain activities on May 5, following mediation before the Conseil des services essentiels. This agreement will prevent any disruption to blood drive activities taking place on May 5 and will enable laboratory personnel at our Montréal facility to perform their daily duties.

Héma-Québec would like to make it clear that this conflict does not involve all of its staff, only those who are part of three unions, namely 375 people out of a total of 1,300 Héma-Québec staff members. All of the required staff members will therefore be present at the blood drives and at the Globule Blood Donor Centres to welcome blood donors.

The blood drives being held in the Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Appalaches, Mauricie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Côte-Nord, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie regions will not be affected because they are being conducted with staff from other unions.

Héma-Québec would therefore like to remind donors that they will still be expected and welcomed at the blood donor clinics scheduled for May 5, just like any other day. "Our primary concern is to be able to give the hospitals the blood products they need. One thousand blood donations are needed every day to meet the needs of patients so they can recover their health. With this in mind, we have taken the necessary measures to ensure that blood donors will have full access to the blood donor clinics at all times," said Manon Pepin, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Marketing.

Héma-Québec prefers to negotiate a solution that will satisfy all of the parties. Efforts to reach a favourable settlement are continuing. Héma-Québec, just like the three CSN unions representing the Montréal facility, hopes to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

About Héma-Québec

Héma-Québec aims to efficiently provide adequate quantities of safe, optimal blood components, substitutes, human tissues and cord blood to meet all Quebecers' needs; provide and develop expertise along with specialized and innovative services and products in the fields of transfusion medicine and human tissue transplantation.

Héma-Québec counts 1,300 employees, some 2,000 blood drives and more than 300,000 blood donors every year, 16,000 partner volunteers and more than 485,000 blood products annually delivered to hospitals in Quebec to fulfill patients'needs.

Give blood. Give life.

For further information: Manon Pepin, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Marketing, [phone], [email protected]; Source: Laurent Paul Ménard, Director - External Communications