Quebec Labour Minister Sam Hamad says the government is very worried about intimidation and discrimination on construction sites, but the province's largest labour group says the problem is marginal at best.

The president of the Quebec Federation of Labour sat down with Hamad in Quebec City on Thursday evening amid police investigations, calls for a public inquiry and the looming arrest of a former top union official.

CTV's John Grant says both sides had "a frank and feisty discussion" and came out of the meeting claiming to share the same values while agreeing to work together.

Union president Michel Arsenault says his group will institute internal controls amid questions about the climate on construction sites on the Lower North Shore.

Bullying

The CBC's French service, Radio-Canada, has reported that a climate of intimidation and violence exists on worksites controlled by the FTQ.

An investigative report by Radio-Canada documented dozens of instances of thuggish behaviour by a union representative, prompting Quebec to call on police to investigate.

Warrant

Adding fuel to the scandal is an arrest warrant issued earlier this month for Jocelyn Dupuis, former head of the powerful construction wing of the FTQ. Police say $125,000 worth of fraudulent expense claims were submitted under Dupuis' watch. The union fired him when the allegations came to light 18 months ago.

Union President Michel Arsenault told reporters Thursday that the number of complaints is relatively minor.

"Let's not panic," he told a news conference. "There's police in this province, there's the construction commission of Quebec. They have the authority to treat these complaints. Let them do their job and we're going to be collaborating with them."

Hamad

Hamad says he got the reassurance he was looking for from the union, which represents 90 per cent of workers on the North Shore.

The minister says he is pleased that the union will appoint a regional representative for the North Shore who will report directly to Arsenault.

Both sides would rather manage the problem together than to have a public inquiry. The Charest government and the FTQ have both dismissed calls for an inquest.