MONTREAL — Two leading Quebec construction trade unions are saying they will monitor health and safety at jobsites closely when construction resumes at residential sites April 20.
The FTQ-Construction and the Conseil provincial (International) said in a statement that the partial reopening of construction sites will make it possible to verify how well new health and safety rules are being followed before a complete reopening takes place.
The Government of Quebec announced April 13 that work to complete construction of residential units scheduled for no later than July 31, 2020 will be authorized.
Activities permitted include construction and renovation work as well as surveying and building inspection.
The government shut down all but essential services in the sector in March, at a time when the two unions complained of a lack of sanitary measures and the difficulty of applying social distancing in construction. The unions are calling for strict adherence to social distancing of two metres with sanctions including closing sites when residential building resumes.
“Construction is a workplace already at risk for health and safety. It will be important to apply the rules well from the start so that construction does not become a place where the virus is spread. We want to contribute to the economic recovery, but not at the cost of our health,” said Eric Boisjoly, director general of FTQ-Construction, in the release.
“We are aware of the importance of home construction and our workers are too, but the health of these workers and their families will always be a priority. That is why we will be very attentive to respecting the rules of hygiene, hand washing and social distancing. We also hope that the government will take action against entrepreneurs who break the rules. This is the only way to make this partial recovery a success,” added Michel Trepanier, president of the Conseil provincial (International).
Recent Comments
comments for this post are closed