Join Heat Strike because no-one should have to work in sweatshops

Climate change is turning up the dial on summer temperatures, the question isn’t if work becomes unsafe—it’s when. Heat alerts like we’ve seen over the last few weeks are now a regular feature of British summers. In the Uk that has meant an increasing average temperature, with the growing impact of heat spikes. The dangers of working in extreme temperatures are no longer rare—they’re real, rising, and completely avoidable.

It isn’t just those working outside who are affected. Whether you’re on a scaffold, tied to a desk in a stuffy office, driving in a van without air con, or sweating it out in an overheated warehouse, the effects of high heat aren’t just uncomfortable—they’re dangerous, especially for the most vulnerable. We’re talking heat stress, sunstroke, dehydration, irritable customers, and even long-term risks like skin cancer.

And yet, in 2025, there’s still no legal limit on how hot it can get before bosses must act. That’s why the TUC is demanding a maximum working temperature in law, a safety ceiling to protect you and force bosses to make proper provision for what’s now a known threat.

We already know that good employers take steps to ensure the safety of their staff, from changing working patterns to uniform requirements. Working with their people to ensure everyone can work safely. 

This is why the TUC is backing the Heat Strike campaign. Heat Strike is a growing coalition of workers, unions, and climate justice groups taking action when temperatures soar—through protests, walkouts, and public pressure to force change. But this isn’t about stunts—it’s about survival. Employers must take steps to proof their workplaces, and working patterns against the rising temperatures.

The TUC is calling on ministers to make sure British workplaces are fit for a warmer climate. Public and private investment is needed to upgrade our buildings and infrastructure, so that they remain functional during heatwaves.

We must also continue with climate action so that we can prevent global heating becoming more extreme, with greater costs to our lives.

We are not just waiting on government. Trade unions all over the country are already helping workers like you win real protections: flexible hours, shaded rest areas, cold water, and proper gear. Health and safety reps are leading the charge—backed by your legal right to refuse unsafe work. Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 provides workers with the right to withdraw from and to refuse to return to a workplace that is unsafe. 

Workers are entitled to remain away from the workplace if – in their opinion – the prevailing circumstances represent a real risk of “serious and imminent” danger which they could not be expected to avert.

So don’t sweat it alone. Join your union. Talk with your colleagues and get involved in Heat Strike. Because climate change isn’t just an environmental issue—it’s a workplace one. And if ministers and bosses won’t act, we will.

This article was first published in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Journal, 30 June 2025