German Unions Push for Mandatory Heat Pay as Temperatures Soar
Published on 07/26/2026 at 04:12 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Every third employee in Germany now reports severe heat stress at work, according to a new survey by the German Trade Union Federation (DGB). The figure has prompted union leaders to demand sweeping legal protections, including a state-backed "heat pay" scheme for workers forced to stop labor when temperatures become dangerous.
DGB chairwoman Yasmin Fahimi called in mid-July for a statutory heat compensation system. The proposal would cover employees whose shifts are interrupted by extreme weather. Each hot day currently costs the German economy an estimated €431 million, the DGB calculates.
The union umbrella group also wants employers to install shading, provide free drinking water, and relax dress codes during heatwaves.
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EU-Level Standards Under Consideration
The European Trade Union Confederation has been pushing since late June for binding EU-wide rules. The blueprint draws inspiration from the cooling breaks used during FIFA World Cup matches. Demands include paid rest periods, guaranteed access to shaded areas and cooling facilities, and fixed maximum temperature thresholds across all member states. The European Commission is currently reviewing whether to embed such protections into existing regulations.
WHO data underscores the urgency: roughly 500,000 people die globally each year from heat-related causes. Germany recorded about 6,300 heat deaths last year. In Saxony alone, authorities had reported 230 such fatalities by mid-2024.
Workplace Disputes Intensify
Heat protection is increasingly triggering legal battles on the shop floor. In late July, the Offenbach Labour Court ruled that the summary dismissal of a works council chairwoman was invalid. The termination had been issued in late June without reasons and without the works council's consent. The Food, Beverages and Catering Union (NGG) called the move scandalous.
Disagreements also persist over how exactly to implement protective rules. The Construction, Agriculture and Environment Union (IG Bau) demanded in late July that work should stop once the thermometer hits 33 degrees Celsius, and proposed a "climate short-time work benefit." Craft businesses in the Ortenau region dismissed these demands as unrealistic, arguing instead for more flexible hours that let employees use the cooler morning period.
State Funding and Research
On July 24, North Rhine-Westphalia's Climate Protection Minister Mona Neubaur announced €2 billion for climate protection and adaptation. The money will help 1,000 schools and daycare centres redesign their outdoor areas to withstand heat. In Saxony, the Left Party faction has applied for a statewide heat action plan—so far only a handful of municipalities have drawn up such strategies.
The HiLSA research project in Saxony-Anhalt is studying heat protection for vulnerable groups through 2027. Initial measurements in Magdeburg highlight the importance of local conditions: in densely built residential areas, temperature differences of up to four degrees were recorded within a few blocks.
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While technical fixes such as mobile cooling cabins from Japan are becoming commercially viable, the core challenge remains embedding worker rights into law during extreme heat. With forecasts predicting temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius around the end of the month, experts are calling for swift adoption of uniform minimum standards.
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