Too hot to work? For millions of workers it’s not a choice

The sugar cane sector: heat as a structural health risk

Research by La Isla Network shows that working in these conditions poses serious health risks. These include muscle damage and kidney damage, which can build up over the course of the working week. Even when the working day ends, the heat does not let up: in many regions, temperatures remain high at night, making it almost impossible for the body to recover.

The result is chronic physical strain, leading to long-term health problems. For many sugar workers, adjusting their work or taking a temporary break is not an option, simply because their income depends on it and their labour rights are insufficiently protected.

Some sugar supply chains use heat stress monitors to track temperature and physical strain. These devices can indicate when work becomes too dangerous and additional rest, water or a break is required.

In practice, however, these measures are not implemented everywhere or are inadequately enforced. Without social dialogue and trade union influence, protection against heat often remains dependent on the willingness of employers.

The textile sector: heat, heavy workloads and a lack of rights

At least 72 million people work in the global textile industry. Production is largely concentrated in countries facing increasingly extreme heat, such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam.

In garment factories, heat – often combined with poor ventilation – poses health and safety risks. High temperatures lead to exhaustion, loss of concentration and an increased risk of workplace accidents. As a result, people regularly faint. Yet production continues, even during heatwaves.

For many textile workers, pausing their work means a loss of income. In many countries, there are no binding heat standards, and there is no guarantee of continued pay when work is interrupted due to extreme temperatures. Women, migrants and home-based workers are particularly at risk, as they are more likely to be in precarious employment relationships and have less access to social protection.

Want to find out more? Visit the Clean Clothes Campaign >

Heat is more than just a climate issue

Extreme heat in the workplace is not just an inevitable natural phenomenon. It is a working condition, and therefore a matter of rights.

Every employee is entitled to:

• a safe and healthy workplace
• protection against foreseeable risks, such as heat
• the right to refuse work in hazardous conditions without loss of earnings

Without strong labour rights, social dialogue and freedom of association, workers can hardly protect themselves against the consequences of climate change. That is precisely why heat stress cannot be viewed in isolation from decent work.

The products we use every day, such as clothing and sugar products, come from supply chains that grapple with these issues on a daily basis. The heat we are experiencing this week shows just how gruelling working in high temperatures can be. Whilst we can adapt our work or take a break, millions of workers do not have that choice.

CNV Internationaal is committed to fair work worldwide. This also means paying attention to the impact of climate change in the workplace, and to the rights of workers who are already facing these challenges on a daily basis.