Construction holiday gives 182,000 workers a break until Aug. 6

Quebec's deadliest road trip season approaches The Quebec construction holiday typically produces an increase in fatal car crashes.

Most people working in Quebec's construction industry will be on summer vacation starting this Friday until Aug. 6.

The Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) states 80 per cent of industry workers and employers will be off the job, shutting down most construction sites in the province.

Nevertheless, some special rules are in place, with agreements reached between employers and employees to keep certain sites open.

This summer, the CCQ issued nearly 182,000 vacation cheques to industry workers totalling more than $553 million -- a 10 per cent increase compared to the $503 million paid out last year.

This change is primarily due to the strong rebound in construction activity last year after a decline in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of hours worked in 2021 increased 21 per cent from the previous year to 196.2 million hours.

The CCQ says it has never before seen such high levels of activity.

Employers pay a monthly fee to the commission for statutory holidays and vacation pay, as stated in collective agreements.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 22, 2022.