ISSUES WE FIGHT FOR
Climate justice is union business
Every Australian worker is impacted by climate change. Whether you work indoors, outdoors, metropolitan or regional Australia; every worker is vulnerable to climate change at work.
Why climate justice is union business:
Workplace Health & Safety – Our workplaces are heating up
Energy security – Access to affordable renewable energy
Secure, well-paid and climate-safe jobs – Climate justice equals worker justice
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Is your workplace safe during heat?
Every summer Australian workers are at increased risk due to intense heat waves, escalated risk of bushfires and drought conditions. Extreme heat, heat fatigue and heat illness place your health and safety at risk. It is your employer’s responsibility to protect your safety at work, that includes threats related to heat.
Every worker can be impacted by heat at work. Heat illness is a silent killer, and no one should have to risk their lives by working through extreme heat.
The symptoms of heat fatigue and heat illness include: Dehydration, dizziness, heat cramps, irritability, heat rash, fainting, tiredness or weakness, headaches, migraines and nausea.
Don’t make yourself sick at work. You have the right to a safe workplace; it is your employer’s responsibility to keep you safe. Speak up.
How prepared is your workplace for extreme heat?
Download our Heat at Work Checklist today.
Workers need stronger protections and better conditions to be resilient against risks and hazards like extreme weather, severe heat and changes to future work caused by climate change.
United Workers Union members have won climate related clauses and policies at work to protect working rights and conditions against climate related hazards and risks, including:
Paid Climate Disaster and Emergency Services leave
Up to 5 days leave for workers impacted by disasters like floods, bushfires and cyclones. Including leave for emergency service workers. More than 10% of UWU worksites have won disaster leave in agreements, and we are working to increase this. Unions are fighting for 10 days of paid Disaster & Emergency Services leave in the NES for every worker.
Heat Policies
Paid rest breaks, changes to how and when work is performed during the heat, effective cooling and ventilation, consulting with employees about heat hazards and risks, monitoring thermal and welt bulb temperatures (humidity), and holding employer accountable (they’re responsible by law) to provide a safe workplace free of hazards, including heat.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Supplied by the employer to protect workers from hazards, this includes hazards from high and low temperatures. For example – UV protection – sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and shade. Uniforms with breathable materials and are appropriate for summer/heat. PPE is only effective when combined with stronger heat protection and measures, like changing the way work is performed.
Transition Consultation plans
Workers in industries affected by climate change, or the transition to zero emissions, are often being left without support as workplaces close and risks to health and safety in the workplace increase. United Workers Union members are organising to ensure the transition to a zero-emissions economy is fair and just, including sustainable jobs with union agreements, job security, fair wages and effective management of health and safety.
Union Health and Safety Representatives
UWU HSR’s are members elected by you to act on behalf of co-workers (not your employer!) to ensure safe working conditions, this includes heat and climate related hazards. HSR’s have powers protected by law to inspect, monitor and raise workplace health and safety compliance and hold the employer accountable.
If you or your colleagues do not feel safe, you need to speak up. You can call your organiser, our member rights team or contact Work Safe if you feel unsafe and need advice.
Better yet, speak to your fellow co-workers about electing an HSR or becoming one yourself!
Want to know more about your rights, entitlements, and supports relating to climate risks?
Contact UWU Member Rights team
Information is power. Climate experts have warned us, we must limit global temperatures below 1.5 degrees of pre industrial levels by rapidly transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy like solar and wind (we have abundant sunshine and strong windy coastlines!). CSRIO confirmed last year was the hottest year on record and that 8/9 of the warmest years on record have occurred since 2013.
We are now at risk of more intense and frequent extreme weather events that can occur at the same time, or in rapid succession across Australia. Extreme weather also means that everything goes up; our bills, food, insurance, and services. This impacts every worker, our loved ones and our communities.
It is our duty as a union not to tip toe around these risks, we have to face them head on. Together, unions and workers are fighting for safe workplaces, stronger protections and fairer conditions to ensure we have climate safe jobs and a climate safe future.
Read below useful information for workers, WHS and climate impacts, including our UWU Heat and Floods reports:
- 2022 UWU Extreme Floods NSW & QLD Report
- 2020 UWU Heat & Climate Change Report
- ILO 2024 Heat at Work – Implications for Workers Report
- ILO 2024 Ensuring Health & Safety in a Changing Climate Report
- Safe Work Australia – Managing Heat at Work advice, Work Safe Victoria- Working in Heat, Victorian Compliance Code for Workplace Facilities & Workplace environment, Work Safe NSW – Working in Extreme Heat
- OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Association) Heat Illness Prevention
UWU's Heat at Work Checklist
How prepared is your workplace for extreme heat?
Complete the form to download UWU’s Heat at Work Checklist 🔥📋✔️
At our 2022 UWU Member Convention the following four climate resolutions were passed unanimously by members:
- We call for UWU to put pressure on Labor to ensure we do better than 43% emissions reductions by 2030, and to support policies and targets that are in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- We call for UWU to resource a campaign to improve access to paid Disaster and Emergency Services Leave, with the aim of having universal access enshrined in the National Employment Standards.
- We endorse a plan for UWU’s operations to get to zero emissions on a timeline that is in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
- We endorse ongoing collaboration and resourcing of work with Union and non-Union partners towards achieving climate justice.