HÉMA-QUÉBEC gives notice to the CSN

Montréal, May 13, 2003 - Héma-Québec has just issued two formal notices: one to Mr. Arthur Sandborn, President of the Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain (CCMM-CSN), and the second to Ms. Lise Pariseau, President of the Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses d'Héma-Québec.

The declaration contained in the press release issued earlier today by the CSN to the effect that Héma-Québec's annual report states that there has been "a marked increase in the sale of blood products to our neighbours to the south” is false. The annual report contains no such statement and Héma-Québec has never sold any blood product whatsoever to the United States. The CSN representatives know that this declaration is false. For this reason, Héma-Québec is ordering them to stop disseminating such statements immediately.

" We deeply regret that union representatives are conducting this sort of disinformation campaign. These statements are false and misleading. Moreover, such activities are harmful and irresponsible," said Mr. André Roch, Assistant to the Executive Director - Public Affairs at Héma-Québec. He also reiterated the importance of blood donations for recipients who need blood products every day in order to improve their health and encouraged Québeckers to continue giving blood generously.

Created in September 1998, Héma-Québec's mission is to efficiently provide adequate quantities of safe, top-quality blood components and substitutes to meet the needs of all Québeckers, as well as to provide and develop expertise and services, along with specialized and innovative products, in the fields of transfusion medicine and human tissue transplantation.

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