The head of a powerful Quebec labour federation has resigned, suddenly, under bizarre circumstances.

Louis Roy of the Confederation of National Trade Unions has announced his resignation over incidents at a training session.

He says he wasn't involved, but was present, when members forced open a liquor cabinet after closing time at the hotel where the event was being held.

Roy also says he accompanied a drunk woman to help her get back to her room and that people were incorrectly casting aspersions on his behaviour.

The union, better known by its French acronym CSN, has 300,000 members in thousands of workplaces and is the second-biggest labour federation in the province.

The 59-year-old Roy was involved in recent negotiations between the now-defeated Charest government and student protest leaders in a failed attempt to settle their differences over tuition hikes.

Photo: Alain Dion (La Presse)