The International Labour Organization estimates that every year, 2.93 million workers die as a result of work-related factors with millions more suffering non-fatal work injuries. On April 28, International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD), we mourn those workers and commit to fighting for the living.
As our climate warms, workers face an increased risk of exposure to excessive heat, which can be fatal. In all IUF sectors — in fields, in kitchens, in factories, in hospitality and tourism — workers risk being exposed to excessive heat. A report produced by the ILO confirms that 71% of the working population is exposed to excessive heat, resulting in 22.85 million injuries and 18,970 deaths annually.
- For IWMD 2025, the IUF has produced a leaflet to raise awareness and propose measures unions can take to protect workers.
- The leaflet — Heat Kills — spells out that heat at work must be dealt with immediately, that employers have to fulfill their responsibilities to provide safe and healthy workplaces and that governments must develop legal protections.
- IUF Acting General Secretary Kristjan Bragason comments: “Our members are on the front line of the climate crisis every day, and they need better protection to match the ever-increasing danger from rising temperatures that is already evident in all our regions.”
- The IUF will develop more materials on the dangers of excessive heat, will challenge companies to engage with us on how to tackle excessive heat at work, and will work with our sister Global Union Federations to ensure international standards are in place to protect workers.
- The IUF 28th Congress in 2023 adopted new commitments on tackling the climate crisis, which is driving the increase in temperature and increasingly unstable weather patterns that affect all workers.
The Heat Kills leaflet is available in English, French and Spanish.
