Record heatwaves put sun-exposed workers at increased risk: "We need rules."
The Uil Sardegna union is concerned about the high temperatures: "This is not a one-off emergency." It appeals to the Region.Per restare aggiornato entra nel nostro canale Whatsapp
The record temperatures recorded in Orani on July 19, amounting to 48.4 degrees, are worrying Uil Sardegna, which is sounding the alarm: "Given these figures, we can no longer consider extreme heat an occasional emergency," says Fulvia Murru , general secretary of the union. "It is becoming a condition that is also changing the way we organize work. At 45 or 48 degrees, you can't just work as if nothing is happening."
The UIL recognizes the importance of the regional ordinance for summer 2026. But for the union, intervening year after year with emergency measures is no longer enough. "We can't wait for the new ordinance every summer," the union continues. "We propose that the Region initiate discussions with trade unions, employers' associations, INAIL (National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work), the Labor Inspectorate, the healthcare system, and the Civil Protection Department to develop a truly permanent regional protocol for working in extreme weather conditions ."
According to Uil Sardegna, the protocol should identify clear and consistent risk thresholds, provide for the rescheduling of work schedules and shifts, strengthen breaks and recovery periods, ensure water, shaded areas, and adequately refrigerated environments, encourage job rotation, and provide for the suspension of activities when weather conditions make it unsafe to continue working.
For the union, income protection remains crucial. "A worker cannot be forced to choose between their health and their paycheck," Murru clarifies. "When work must stop because temperatures pose a threat, there must be tools that fully guarantee income. Otherwise, the risk is that, especially the most vulnerable and precarious workers, will continue to work even when they shouldn't."
According to the union, "workplace safety must anticipate climate change," it emphasizes. "We are asking the Region to convene the social partners in the coming weeks: let's use the fall and winter to develop new rules, so we can be prepared for next summer."
(Unioneonline/AD)