Given the statistically proven increase in the number of warm days, construction union GBH is dissatisfied with the current heat exemption scheme. In the summer of 2024, looking at June and July, relatively much less heat-free time will be granted than in the entire previous summer.
Last year, about one in four construction hackers got heat-free time for a longer or shorter period during the entire summer. According to GBH boss Josef Muchitsch (SPÖ), it lasts from an hour to a few afternoons.
An initial evaluation of the information for June and July this year shows that only about one in ten construction workers has been granted a heat exemption. The hot August has not yet been evaluated here – and the heat in the south and east of the country is currently continuing into September up to 35 degrees Celsius.
100,000 work outside the home
“In June and July, just over 9,000 construction workers were granted heat relief,” says Muchitsch. “Last year, that was 23,000 for the entire summer.” Of the total of around 135,000 construction workers, around 100,000 are said to be working outside, chopping and therefore possibly suffering from the heat. Certain laws to protect workers had to be adapted to the new climatic conditions.
Construction usually starts so early that by the time the temperature reaches 32.5 hours, work has often already been going on for eight hours. So you could legally regulate that working hours on hot days are limited to eight hours.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
