Start working earlier? Reduce the working day? Or go further and force certain companies to cease their activity, particularly those in the construction sector? While France has been suffering from scorching temperatures for a few days, the question of working conditions becomes a political question at the end of the holiday period.
The government, which published a heat wave risk prevention guide in June, is under pressure from the opposition and unions. In sight, a Labor Code that would be too timid about it.
The CGT advocates stricter adjustments to the legislation in this area, with precise temperature thresholds beyond which employers would be forced to review their organization. A measure that exists in some of our European neighbors and that is also the subject of a bill presented by deputies from La France insoumise last July.
47 deaths on the job
The government does not seem closed to the regulation of working hours. This Tuesday on BFMTV, the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, acknowledged that it was logical “to go towards reduced days when we reach certain temperature levels like the ones we reached.”
However, the executive is reluctant to go through the legislative process setting temperature thresholds in the Labor Code, for example.
Employers are obliged to guarantee the safety conditions of their employees, which results in certain sectors such as the construction industry having access to water, shady rest areas and even work suspensions.
However, occupational accidents related to high temperatures, although they are few, still exist. Public Health France estimates that 47 workers lost their lives between 2017 and 2022 due to temperature conditions. Figures that only take into account deaths produced in the workplace and that could be underestimated.
“In the construction sector, in 2021-2022, the OPPBTP organization recorded 30 deaths, 12 of which occurred outdoors and of which we can suspect that the high temperatures are in doubt,” says Rui Portal, general secretary of the Federation Construction-Bois. “
Going out for heat waves?
For its part, the CFDT rather promotes negotiations between sectors including strong heat in an already existing device, that of bad weather.
The idea would be to encourage companies to put their employees on official and free leave when temperatures no longer allow them to carry out their activity. A proposal to which some business organizations such as the CPME do not close the door.
“If the sectors want to follow this path, why not, we can discuss it”, advances Jean-Eude Du Mesnil. But it must be done by activity sectors. It doesn’t make sense to say, like some deputies, that they all stop working when we reach certain temperatures.”
Source: BFM TV
