Workers in Quebec’s construction industry are sharing in a total of almost $617 million in vacation pay this year. The Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) sent out vacation payments to more than 192,000 workers this past June 21.
The amounts paid in were accumulated between July and December 2022 in the Fonds d’indemnités de congés annuels obligatoires et de jours fériés chômés, which is administered by the CCQ.
The dollar amount represents a 12 per cent increase in the total value of payments over the $553 million paid out last summer. Activity on construction sites surpassed 2022 forecasts, reaching 210.2 million hours declared, a rise of seven per cent over last year and a historic peak for work subject to Act R-20.
Employers in the province pay monthly contributions to the CCQ for paid statutory holidays and vacations, as set out in the collective agreements. The amounts represent 13 per cent of the salary earned by workers during each work week, with payments going out ahead of the industry’s annual summer holiday in the province. This year’s construction holiday will take place from Sunday, July 23 to Saturday, August 5.