Builders, bakers and cheeseburger-makers: the UK workers struggling in extreme heat
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- Joshua Swinney, head chef at north London's Plimsoll pub, worked through temperatures exceeding 35C (95F) by wrapping a frozen tea towel around his neck and adding more no-oven dishes — difficult for a kitchen famed for its cheeseburger.
- Kenny Dinsdale, a 65-year-old construction worker, warned of death, dehydration, and heat stroke from extreme heat and urged 'Mediterranean-style hours' to avoid the hottest part of the day.
- Sarah Woolley, chair of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union, said her union has campaigned for a maximum working temperature for a decade; while some employers provide cold water, isotonic drinks, and extra breaks, others 'expect workers to continue as normal.'
- Paramedics in Birmingham and London described their single uniform as unbearable in heat — one said 'I could have cried during my last shift' — while Unison's Sampson Low called for evidence-based temperature thresholds for jobs where work cannot simply stop.
- London bus drivers reported cab temperatures exceeding 40C with broken air conditioning, with some recently going on strike; one driver said the heat 'is icing on the cake' after migraines worsened.
- The Trades Union Congress is campaigning for employers to act when temperatures exceed 24C and for work to stop at 30C — or 27C for strenuous jobs — citing Spain (27C sedentary / 25C light physical) and Belgium (29C light, 22C heavy, 18C very heavy) as existing models.
Why it matters: The TUC's proposed 30C work-stop threshold (27C for strenuous jobs) would, if adopted, force operational changes on employers across construction, baking, healthcare, and transit — sectors where the source notes ununionized workplaces currently 'expect workers to continue as normal.' With bus drivers already striking over heat conditions and the union campaign a decade old, labor action is visibly outpacing UK legislation that currently sets no maximum workplace temperature at all.
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