While it welcomes the reform that Quebec is preparing to build faster and at lower cost, the largest construction union in the province is nevertheless concerned that these in-depth changes risk being made “on the backs of workers”.
“We are not against the virtue of modernizing the laws, but not at any price,” says the general director of the FTQ-Construction, Éric Boisjoly, in a telephone interview.
Earlier, Tuesday, columnist Maxime Bergeron revealed that Quebec would like to build 20 to 25% faster and pay 15 to 20% less for its infrastructure projects. The government is also preparing a gigantic reform in order to try to achieve these efficiency gains.
A series of measures should see the light of day between now and June to create more competition in the construction sector, moving away from the traditional model of the lowest bidder. Objective: to make more room for “collaborative” models which involve several players. The idea, welcomed in the industry, goes hand in hand with the future transport agency that Quebec wants to set up this fall.
On the one hand, Éric Boisjoly speaks of “very good news” for the lowest bidder rule, which imposes “several pitfalls” on builders. But on the other hand, he fears that this reform will weaken its members.
“There’s nothing in there that addresses workforce retention, which we think is the big issue. And this reform could certainly further weaken regional employability. When we cut corners, it is often on the backs of workers, on health and safety rules. We never cut profits,” said the union leader.
His comments contrast with those of the industry, which welcomes the arrival of this reform. “There is a clear lack of interest among entrepreneurs in the public market due to the payment deadline, the lack of collaboration and unfair clauses,” notably illustrated the lawyer and general director of the Quebec Association of Infrastructure Entrepreneurs (AQEI). ), Caroline Amireault, who hopes for a “change of course”.
Some major players, such as AtkinsRéalis – formerly SNC-Lavalin – have not bid for fixed price contracts for a while due to their cumbersome nature. In 2022, the company had also revealed that fixed price contracts caused it to lose 821 million, or the equivalent of 42% of its revenues in this sector, in just two years.
In full consultations
All this debate comes as consultations on Bill 51, which aims to modernize the construction industry, begin Tuesday in the National Assembly, against a backdrop of discontent from the unions. The Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet, assures that “everything in the bill is open to discussion”.
Bill 51, which was tabled last February by the Minister of Labor, essentially aims to ensure greater mobility of workers between the regions of Quebec and to increase the versatility of workers by allowing task sharing between certain trades. .
Until now, regional hiring priority rules mean that an employer who lands a contract in a region other than its own can take a limited number of its regular workers there. He must also hire workers in the region where he won this contract.
With The Canadian Press