Unite union is pushing for the establishment of statutory maximum working temperatures and paid “climate leave” as part of new proposals to protect workers during extreme weather events.
The union has requested a meeting with Enterprise Minister Peter Burke to discuss their recommendations, which include setting maximum working temperatures based on job type and environment. The proposal calls for mandatory heat management controls at 24°C and work stoppage at 30°C (or 27°C for strenuous jobs) if engineering controls cannot mitigate high temperatures.
Additionally, Unite is advocating for four days of paid “climate leave” for workers facing hazardous travel conditions or urgent domestic needs during extreme weather. The proposals also include mandatory risk assessments during severe weather, cessation of routine outdoor work during orange weather alerts, and suspension of all non-essential work during red alerts—with workers continuing to receive pay during these periods.
“Accelerating climate change means that the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events are set to increase. Workers must not be made to pay the price—in terms of their safety, health and livelihoods—for a climate crisis not of their making,” said Susan Fitzgerald, Unite’s Irish secretary.
The union released survey results showing that 55% of respondents felt unsafe traveling during Storm Eowyn, while over half of those required to work outdoors during the storm felt their employers had not taken adequate safety precautions. Nearly a third of workers whose employers did not require them to work during the storm had to use annual leave, unpaid leave, flexitime, sick leave, or time-off-in-lieu.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham emphasized: “On international workers’ memorial day, we are demanding that the government climate-proof health and safety laws to ensure that workers’ lives and incomes are protected during extreme weather.”