In this extreme heat, support the Trade Union Congress' demand:
Temperatures in the UK this week are set to smash records. But all over the country, people are being forced to work in dangerously hot conditions because our government has no law on maximum workplace temperatures [1].
As the climate crisis accelerates, extreme heat like this is only becoming more likely. That’s why we need our government to step up and put safety measures in place, as well as investing to future-proof our workplaces and homes with better insulation and design.
We’re supporting the TUC’s demand for a legal maximum workplace temperature - agree? Sign the petition and share it with your friends and colleagues today.
Laws on maximum temperatures already exist in many countries, including Spain, the USA and China. And here in the UK, there are minimum temperature laws already in place as well as guidance that temperatures should be ‘reasonable’.
The workers most impacted by extreme heat are largely the key workers who got us through the pandemic - from farm-workers picking vegetables, to teachers trying to keep kids safe in dangerously hot classrooms. Those in low paid and precarious jobs are especially vulnerable since they might not be able to risk speaking out against dangerous conditions.
We cannot allow ordinary workers to pay the price for our government’s failure to act on the climate crisis. Alongside crucial safety measures, we need to fight for a Green New Deal: a government-led plan to rapidly cut emissions, create millions of unionised green jobs and tackle the inequality at the heart of our society.
[1] https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Temperature.pdf
Sign here to show your support:
Dear Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions:
In line with the demands of the Trade Union Congress, we call on you to introduce a legal absolute maximum working temperature to keep people safe from the risks associated with excessive heat.
Why?
Temperatures in the UK this week are set to smash records. But all over the country, people are being forced to work in dangerously hot conditions because our government has no law on maximum workplace temperatures [1].
As the climate crisis accelerates, extreme heat like this is only becoming more likely. That’s why we need our government to step up and put safety measures in place, as well as investing to future-proof our workplaces and homes with better insulation and design.
Laws on maximum temperatures already exist in many countries, including Spain, the USA and China. And here in the UK, there are minimum temperature laws already in place as well as guidance that temperatures should be ‘reasonable’.
The workers most impacted by extreme heat are largely the key workers who got us through the pandemic - from farm-workers picking vegetables, to teachers trying to keep kids safe in dangerously hot classrooms. Those in low paid and precarious jobs are especially vulnerable since they might not be able to risk speaking out against dangerous conditions.
We cannot allow ordinary workers to pay the price for our government’s failure to act on the climate crisis. Alongside crucial safety measures, we need to fight for a Green New Deal: a government-led plan to rapidly cut emissions, create millions of unionised green jobs and tackle the inequality at the heart of our society.
[1] https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Temperature.pdf