Gripped by a heatwave of almost 40 degrees, Luxembourg's construction industry is feeling the pressure.
The Inspectorate of Labour and Mines (ITM) issued reccommendations, stating that employers must provide shaded areas for workers to take breaks, as well as plenty of drinking water at their disposal.
However, the Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL) says this does not go far enough, calling for the recommendations to be made compulsory. This would give employees, particularly staff delegations, greater leverage with employers and allow them to refer breaches to the ITM.
The country's largest trade union would also like more companies to make use of the bad-weather compensation scheme, under which employees who cannot work because of adverse weather continue to receive 80% of their pay.
Many companies are reluctant to use the scheme, however, because employers must continue paying wages for the first two days. The union argues that employees' safety is the responsibility of the employer.
Jean-Luc De Matteis, central secretary and responsible for the construction sector at the OGBL, explained that there are many positive examples:
He said many large and medium-sized companies had found practical ways to protect workers during periods of extreme heat.
De Matteis explained that some had made use of the bad-weather compensation scheme, introduced paid breaks, provided chilled water and sunscreen, or reorganised tasks so that the most physically demanding work could be completed earlier in the day. Others, he noted, had made use of the bad-weather compensation scheme.
De Matteis added that solutions could generally be found through social dialogue and "simple common sense". However, he stressed that these strategies are often more successful in larger companies, mainly due to the fact that staff delegation is mandatory for companies with 15 or more employees.
A red alert has been in effect in Luxembourg since Monday due to the heat, but it was only on Thursday that the Ministry of the Environment decided that construction sites outside could start as early as 6am and not 7am as usual.
De Matteis criticised municipal rules that restrict the hours during which noisy construction work may take place. He called for an automatic exemption during red heat alerts, allowing work to begin earlier in the day.
