General

Study finds widespread corruption in Quebec construction industry

A quarter of workers say they’ve witnessed criminal transactions

A poll conducted for Quebec’s Construction Commission and obtained by La Presse found that a quarter of the province’s construction workers had witnessed collusion or corruption. The study, which surveyed 9,000 respondents in April, also found 76 per cent of employers and 70 per cent of workers are concerned about corruption in the industry. On the subject of work performed under the table, 49 per cent of construction workers and 43 per cent of employers said undocumented (and untaxed) work makes up about 30 per cent of the total industry; Quebec’s Labour Ministry recently put the figure at 14 per cent. Diane Lemieux, the head of the commission, says the poll shows the industry’s “lucidity and maturity” with respect to the challenges ahead.

La Presse

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