
ETUI-ETUC joint conference in commemoration of the International Workers’ Memorial Day
Climate change and workers’ health
28 April 2026, 9:00 – 17:00
Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre (Avenue du Boulevard 17, 1210 Brussels), room Bergen
Climate change is not only challenging the labour market but it is also reshaping working conditions and occupational risks and workers’ health across Europe and beyond. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events and environmental degradation are creating new and intensified occupational hazards while exposing existing inequalities between sectors, territories and groups of workers.
This one-day conference organised on 28th April will commemorate the International Workers’ Memorial Day. The event will bring together leading academics, trade union representatives, policymakers and practitioners to examine the growing impacts of climate change on occupational health and safety with a particular focus on heat stress at work and the prospect of better EU legal tools against occupational heat.
By fostering dialogue between research, social partners and EU institutions, the conference aims to contribute to the development of fair, effective and worker-centered responses to climate change putting occupational health and safety at the heart of Europe’s climate and social agenda.
The event will take place IN PERSON in Brussels. Interpretation will be available in English, French, Italian and Spanish. Following the conference, the recording and the presentations of participating speakers (subject to their agreement) will be made available on this website. Please register here.

Dans le monde du travail, les avancées de ces dernières années en matière d’intelligence artificielle (IA) ont suscité les craintes habituelles d’obsolescence qui vont de pair avec les promesses de libération. Mais au-delà de l’impact sur l’emploi, quelles seront les conséquences sur notre façon de travailler et sur nos conditions de travail ?
In the world of work, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have brought with them the usual fears of obsolescence paired with promises of liberation. But beyond the impact on employment, what will the consequences be for how we work and the conditions we work under? 