As Europe grapples with an increasingly hot and deadly summer, the issue of worker protection against heat stress has taken center stage. Trades unions across the continent are leading a powerful movement, demanding new laws to address this pressing challenge.
The statistics are alarming: an estimated 230 workplace deaths annually due to heat stress, with this year's toll potentially even higher. The World Health Organization attributes 1,300 excess European deaths to the June heatwave, and some estimates go as high as 20,000.
Unions are advocating for enforceable thermal limits in workplaces, based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which measures the body's ability to cool itself. They also call for mandatory heat risk assessments, heat breaks, outdoor shade, water, cooling, and adjusted working hours.
Enrico Somaglia, General Secretary of the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (Effat), emphasizes the urgency of the situation. "Climate change is no longer a distant challenge; it's an immediate threat to occupational health and safety, as well as job stability. The current European legal framework is inadequate to address this issue."
The draft directive text, supported by sympathetic MEPs and officials, proposes maximum workplace WBGTs ranging from 30°C to 32.5°C, with work suspended beyond these temperatures. Employers who fail to comply would face sanctions.
Effat, along with two other union groups representing 15 million workers, is leading this charge, backed by a groundswell of union support. In the UK, where an amber heat alert was issued, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling for a maximum working temperature and the right for workers to stop work at certain heat thresholds.
Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary, underscores the need for action: "The rapidly changing climate poses significant risks to workers, and we must mitigate these. Indoor workplaces should be comfortable, with flexible working hours and relaxed dress codes. Outdoor workers require regular breaks, fluids, sunscreen, and protective clothing."
The Heat Strike movement, formed after the UK's hottest day in 2022, has gained momentum, with 1,500 people participating in national actions during the June heatwave. Activists, supported by various unions and organizations, set up cool stations and held symbolic walkouts.
Global heating is intensifying, with Europe warming twice as fast as the global average. Up to 130 million workers are now exposed to workplace heat stress, with 277,000 injured annually. Maria Ohisalo, a Finnish Green MEP, supports the union push, emphasizing the need for legally binding, harmonized rules to protect workers across Europe.
While the Quality Jobs Act could potentially include new heat stress regulations, it faces opposition from labor ministers in right-wing EU states. The European Commission has remained silent on the matter.
In my opinion, this issue demands urgent attention and action. The human cost of heat stress is unacceptable, and the unions' push for enforceable protections is a crucial step forward. As climate change intensifies, we must prioritize worker safety and well-being. The time for action is now.
