As part of its auditing and investigation activities, the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) uses different strategies to counter behaviours that contravene the rules in force in the industry. Sometimes, prevention and awareness raising are sufficient to make the point. At other times, it is necessary to take stronger dissuasive and repressive action.

Approach depending on type of contravener

The CCQ adapts its intervention strategies to match the contravener concerned. The CCQ defines three types of contravener:

• The generally compliant who chooses compliancy. If they commit an infraction, it is because they don’t know the rules or lack administrative discipline.
• The contravener who has found ways to get around the rules and use some of them.
• The chronic contravener who does everything he can to get around the rules and use complex, sophisticated stratagems.

Encouraging compliance

The vast majority of companies and workers intend to comply with the rules. The CCQ chooses communication and awareness raising to encourage them to continue down this path.

Dissuading contraveners

For contraveners, the CCQ changes its approach to emphasize dissuasive actions. It conducts audits more frequently and monitors the targeted workers and employers more closely. It takes the necessary measures to encourage them to be more compliant.

Top priority: Remove chronic contraveners

When it comes to chronic contraveners, the CCQ uses every means and recourses at its disposal to ensure that they comply with Act R-20. It uses all powers available to it and coordinates its actions with those of other surveillance agencies likely to intervene effectively in these cases. For instance, the CCQ collaborates with Revenu Québec, the Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC), the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), and police forces.

The importance of acting together

All stakeholders in the industry have an interest in seeing that everyone respects the Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and workforce management in the construction industry (Act R-20), the related regulations, and the collective agreements.

A non-compliant company benefits from lower operating costs, which results in unfair competition. People who do construction work without holding a competency certificate keep a skilled worker from having work.

By reporting a non-compliant situation, you help to increase compliance in the industry.