Adaptation to global warming requires, a decree which construction and public works workers have been demanding for a long time was published on June 28 in Official newspaper : the heatwave joins the list of bad weather conditions giving rise to the right to technical unemployment on construction sites.
“This is a demand that we have been making since 2018, when we began to see real problems on construction sites following heat waves.”recalls Frédéric Mau, secretary of the CGT Wood and Construction federation, which “congratulate” of this “important political signal: everyone now knows that working outside at 40°C represents a proven health risk.” He takes the example of workers responsible for road repairs. “The asphalt laid is at 150-160°C. So imagine when you have your feet on it with an outside environment at 40°C… The ambient air temperature can reach 80°C, we measured it! And we saw fainting, even in seasoned guys!”
Eleven fatal work accidents possibly linked to heat occurred during the summer of 2023, almost half of which occurred in the context of professional construction and works activities, noted Public Health France in its February report “Heatwave and health” report. Underestimated figures, according to the CGT federal secretary, “because the causes of a fatal illness are obviously less obvious than those of a death following a fall from a height.”
Mutualizing risks
The new decree thus updates the “bad weather unemployment” scheme created in the construction industry in the aftermath of the Second World War, a time when heatwaves were not yet a feature of French summers. In this sector where a large proportion of work is done outdoors, it allows employees to be compensated if extreme weather conditions (strong wind, heavy rain, snow, frost) force them to stop working. And, on the other hand, it allows companies to pool risks by contributing to a reserve fund that finances this compensation paid to employees on technical unemployment.
On Wednesday, July 10, Olivier Salleron, the president of the French Building Federation, a powerful lobby in the sector, also welcomed this progress in front of the press. The bad weather regime will be triggered in the event of an orange or red alert announced by Météo France. “The fund will then reimburse the salaries of the companions, it’s automatic, he explained. But also in the event of a prefectural decree. For the year 2024, however, the holiday fund will only pay 80% of the salary, with the difference remaining the responsibility of the companies.
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