The growing number of people dying because they are forced to keep working in extreme heat requires the EU to strengthen workers’ rights to meet the rising threat of climate change.

That is the message trade unions will give European Commission representatives on Tuesday at an event held to mark International Workers Memorial Day, the day on which the labour movement commemorates those who have lost their lives at work.

At the conference in Brussels organised by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and European Trade Union Institute, workers’ representatives will highlight the overwhelming evidence of the need for legislation to ensure employers work with unions to put in place common sense measures, such as the provision of drinking water, access to shade, and breaks in work.

• There has been a 42% increase in heat-related workplace fatalities in the EU since 2000 – the fastest increase of any part of the world;

• The number of people exposed to heat waves at work in the EU has increased by 60% over the last 20 years;

• 47% of people say they have felt too hot at work, but just 15% say action has been taken to keep them safe;

• When temperatures rise above 30°C, the risk of workplace accidents increases by 5-7% and, when temperatures exceed 38°C, accidents are between 10% to 15% more likely.

In 2023, the European Commission issued guidance on employers’ responsibility to people working in high temperatures. But research shows that employers have demonstrated “reluctance to adopt preventive measures” and a “refusal to accept the inclusion of [heat] specific measures” in collective bargaining agreements.

That contributed to a spate of preventable deaths last summer, including an agriculture worker who died in Spain after harvesting fruit in temperatures exceeding 40°C, two construction workers who died after collapsing with heat stroke, and a 50-year-old who died after his body temperature rose to 42,9 °C while working in a distribution centre in France.

That is why the ETUC is calling for legislation on maximum working temperatures to be included in the forthcoming Quality Jobs Act.

Speaking at the event, ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch will say:

“Deaths from heat at work are not accidents – they are predictable and preventable, yet too many employers are still failing to take the risk seriously. 

“For many years now, our affiliates have been reporting tragic cases of workers dying as a result of exposure to extreme heat. These deaths are occurring across a wide range of sectors, including street cleaning, forestry, agriculture, construction, and even in indoor environments such as industry. Their loss underlines the urgent need to act.

“While the European Commission has taken steps in recent years, including issuing guidance, the reality on the ground is clear: guidance alone is not enough. As our members systematically report us, every summer, workers continue to fall ill, suffer accidents, and in the worst cases, lose their lives. This situation calls for urgent legislative action.”

ETUC Confederal Secretary Giulio Romani will say:

“Occupational heat is no longer an emerging issue – it is already a daily reality for millions of workers across Europe. As we have heard, this is not only about discomfort; it is about health, safety, and, increasingly, loss of life.

“There is, importantly, a window of opportunity. The ongoing work on the Quality Jobs Act provides a political space to integrate stronger protections for workers facing extreme weather conditions. This could be a key avenue to ensure that climate resilience becomes an integral part of quality employment in Europe.”

Photo: Carlos Costa/ European Union

https://www.etuc.org/en/pressrelease/unions-call-eu-heat-law-workers-memorial-day