(Montreal) The CSD-Construction, which represents 25,000 workers in the industry, is concerned about the reform that the Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet, wants to implement. Its president accuses him of wanting to “kill the regions”, compromise worker safety and reduce the quality of training.

The president of CSD-Construction, Carl Dufour, criticizes the minister for wanting to please employers’ associations by relaxing the rules on worker mobility between regions, among others. This risks “killing the regions”, he fears.

Currently, certain rules mean that a contractor who lands a contract in a region other than his own can take with him some of his usual workers, but he must also employ a certain number of workers who reside in that region.

Mr. Dufour also criticizes him for wanting to reduce the number of training hours for certain trades, including those of carpenter, tinsmith, construction equipment driver and refrigeration.

This could pose problems with the quality of training, in addition to posing risks to the health and safety of workers and the public, deplores Mr. Dufour.

The Minister of Labor is currently conducting consultations with industry players before tabling his reform this fall. In particular, he wants to ask workers in certain professions to carry out more tasks than those normally assigned to them.