“Cooling breaks” for all workers? A European trade union organisation calls on the European Commission to introduce breaks for workers amid a record-breaking heatwave.
“The cooling breaks being used at the World Cup have put the spotlight on the danger posed to workers by extreme heat and the kind measures that can be taken to keep people safe,” Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said.
She added that, while workers would need longer than three minutes to recover from heat exposure, the practice is a good example of how work can be adapted to the changing climate.
“We need a maximum working temperature law that gives all workers the right to paid breaks, water and toilets too,” Lynch told Euronews Health.
Workplace heat stress causes physiological strain in the body that can lead to exhaustion, pathological conditions and death.
