THE TUC has passed a motion calling for a “heat strike” on days when temperatures rise above 36°C.

BFAWU submitted the proposal on climate change’s impact on workers’ health, which suggests setting a national maximum working temperature, a furlough scheme for extreme weather, along with “heat strikes.”

The strikes would not be a legal union strike, but aims to raise awareness through joint actions, such as lunchtime walkouts, organised collectively with climate campaigners.

BFAWU general secretary Sarah Wooley said: “By passing this motion, we are sending a clear message: we will not stand by while our workers are put at risk by a crisis that they did not cause.”

“We will fight for a just transition, for health and safety protections, and a future where no one has to choose between their job and their lives.”

Claire Trevor, branch secretary of Unite Hospitality East Midlands, said: “Young workers and the climate crisis need to be accommodated now, before it’s too late.”

“In a just transition, no work should be left behind, but we must not forget that there are no jobs on a dead planet.”