The heat and the long summer of work for riders, drivers, agricultural workers, bricklayers between one anticyclone and another

How hot! Numbers alone aren't enough to count how many times this exclamation has been uttered during this long and beautiful summer, even from vacation. However, the working summer is longer and more difficult for some categories of workers than others, from delivery drivers to laborers, agricultural and construction workers, even postmen and security guards, to name just a few. Temperatures in many areas of the country have repeatedly touched 40°C and have remained above 30°C for long periods, offering little respite even at night. The rising heat has led to increased precautions and protections for workers, but also to worker protests and organizational measures in companies, where climate change has now become a structural issue as summer approaches. As temperatures rise above 20°C, for every point higher on the thermometer, worker productivity decreases by between 2 and 3%. This estimate from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will increasingly affect businesses and workers as temperatures rise. Already, 2.4 billion people worldwide work in extreme climate conditions. This issue certainly affects certain areas of the globe, including Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and South America, where temperatures are now reaching 40°C or higher, more frequently than in the past. The summer of 2025 in the United Arab Emirates is being characterized by an extreme heat wave, following an already very hot spring, with temperatures even exceeding 50°C. In Italy, the situation is less extreme, but for example, this August the Caronte anticyclone scorched the peninsula, with temperatures reaching nearly 40°C. As the heat continues, work demands a different organization, especially since the days of long summer factory shutdowns are now long gone: globalization and the internationalization of businesses have also shortened August shutdowns and made it necessary to rethink summer shifts in several sectors, also taking into account regional ordinances.

Workers now have much greater protection than in the past, as evidenced by the ordinary wage supplementation fund and wage supplementation benefits that companies can apply for in the event of excessive heat (over 35°C) or extreme weather conditions that make their work risky. Regional ordinances dedicated to this issue also highlight this. With the exception of Trentino-Alto Adige and Valle d'Aosta, all regions have issued ordinances providing guidance on sectors and working hours to allow people to work safely, as highlighted in the latest Workclimate report, a collaboration between INAIL and the CNR. These ordinances primarily concern certain sectors, such as horticulture, agriculture, and construction, where people are often exposed to heat. But they also address working hours. As the Workclimate report explains, in many regions, the ordinances were issued only after the onset of the first heatwave, highlighting the need for a more preventative approach and improved national coordination, as now requested by several unions. The measures are uniform across time slots (12:30–4:00 PM), provide exceptions for essential services, and all apply to construction and agriculture/floriculture or related sectors. Only a few regions extend them to sectors such as logistics and delivery riders, as is the case in Piedmont and Lazio. The unions have called for the measures to be extended to other categories of workers, such as postmen and security guards.

The Workclimate report, however, highlights that enforcement issues persist: on the one hand, it is essential to ensure that companies comply with the ordinances, but on the other, it is important to consider that the rules are not always easily enforced safely. Not all workplaces have adequate areas for workers to rest during the hottest hours, especially those who, for logistical reasons, cannot return home during the suspension. In July, there were many injuries related to prolonged exposure to heat, and concerns about decreased productivity and reduced wages grew. The presence of the ordinances, however, did not prevent the emergence of many irregularities related to working hours, as revealed in the Carabinieri operation that targeted the agricultural sector and conducted widespread inspections of 888 companies between July 31 and August 11. Among the irregularities discovered, especially in the South, was work during hours prohibited by regional ordinances. Rising temperatures have also led to an increase in protests this summer, as the report highlights: from Globo to Carrefour, Stellantis, and Electrolux, workers have protested and called for strikes on the hottest days, but specific measures have also been adopted to improve climate conditions in factories and revise work shifts. The most controversial case was that of the food delivery platform Glovo, which initially offered its riders a bonus for deliveries during the hottest hours of the day. The bonus was 2% for temperatures between 32 and 36 degrees Celsius, 4% for temperatures between 36 and 40 degrees Celsius, and up to 8% for temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. This triggered protests from unions, who instead demanded that deliveries be suspended during the hottest hours. The food delivery platform initially suspended the bonus—but certainly not the deliveries—due to widespread criticism. It was then forced by the Milan Court to pay riders an additional 30 cents per delivery when outside temperatures exceed 25 degrees Celsius. The Court also ruled that riders must be equipped with certain safety devices to protect themselves from the heat, such as hats with visors, sunglasses, sunscreen, a thermal water bottle, and mineral salts.

Returning to WMO and WHO data, 2024 was the hottest year on record, with temperatures in many parts of the world exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and even 50 degrees Celsius with increasing frequency. This has worsened "the impact of heat stress on workers worldwide," exposing them to heatstroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction, and neurological disorders. "All of these factors compromise long-term health and economic security," the experts explain, in a context in which "approximately half the world's population suffers the negative consequences of high temperatures." "Heat stress at work has become a global social challenge," said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett. "Protecting workers is not only a health imperative, but also an economic necessity." Furthermore, in numerical terms, the issue is highly sensitive, given that according to the International Labour Organization, over 2.4 billion workers worldwide are exposed to excessive temperatures, with over 22.85 million workplace injuries related to heat stress each year. The two UN organizations, WMO and WHO, are therefore calling for the implementation of specific workplace action plans, tailored to specific sectors and regions and developed in collaboration with businesses, workers, trade unions, and public health experts.