To mark 2025’s International Workers’ Memorial Day, the BWI European Youth calls on a “JUST” future and “SAFE” workplaces for all. We call for youth movements and unions to demand safe working conditions for all workers under extreme heat and weather events.

We believe it’s time now to FIST UP for WORKERS RIGHTS and THE PLANET.

Climate crisis is at alarming levels with the world experiencing extreme weather conditions and heat waves in recent years. Young workers are deeply concerned about a future threatened by climate destruction, as governments and employers are so reluctant to fulfil their promises to reduce carbon emissions, which is vital to limiting global heating levels.

In 2024 alone, severe heat warnings and record temperatures were registered in Southeast Europe, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, North America, Brazil, and Central America, with heat-related deaths recorded in Saudi Arabia and India. Extremely high temperatures in tropical and sub-tropical regions are already testing the physiological limits of the human body.

The BWI European Youth acknowledges that unions should play a leading role in voicing workers’ rights and demands for safer workplaces and right to stop work when extreme heat makes it unbearable to work outside.

We thus call for concrete actions for the protection of wellbeing of workers against heat stress by joining the BWI call for action “Too Hot to Work!” with major actions of

STOP WORK when it’s too hot

PROTECTION from heat stress

COMPENSATION for work stoppages

And with major activities and policy implementations of

• Building union power at the grassroots by encouraging regular meetings between members and workplace representatives on the issue of heat stress and workplace adaptation.
• Organising trade union education and training programmes to build confidence and leadership to better articulate and address broader workplace challenges linked to heat stress and the impact of climate change on workers.
• Pushing governments for ensuring right to stop the work under extreme heat and social protection provision that cover workers’ income in periods of work stoppage.

Workers want protection against heat stress as one of the dangerous threats against human well-being. Put people over profit!