Left demands heat-free leave for workers

Berlin – Left Party leader Jan van Aken calls for better heat protection in the workplace in an action paper. Van Aken demands that daily working hours be reduced by a quarter at temperatures as low as 26 degrees Celsius at work. Above 30 degrees Celsius, workers should only work half as much. The Left Party leader also calls for free sunscreen dispensers on beaches and more water dispensers in cities. The "Editorial Network Germany" reports on his paper, titled "Heat Protection Is Occupational Safety - Act Now." "The climate crisis has long been a social crisis as well – those who toil under the scorching sun or sit in an overheated office often pay with their own health," van Aken told the RND. "I don't think anyone can work concentrated and effectively in an office at 30 degrees Celsius or above. The heat and sun put a strain on performance and the body. This can lead to health problems. This applies to working in an office or to hard physical labor on the street." The Left Party leader is calling on the federal government to implement immediate measures by July 2025. The workplace regulations must be tightened: When temperatures at the workplace exceed 26 degrees Celsius, there should be an additional ten-minute break per hour, a right to sufficient water and sun protection, a right to work from home, and a 25 percent reduction in full-time hours. At temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, the rules should be further tightened: Working hours may be reduced by 50 percent, there should be a ten-minute break every half hour, and fans must be set up in the workplace.