The Council of Ministers has approved a landmark policy granting workers the right to "climate leave," addressing the growing impact of extreme weather on labour conditions. The initiative is part of a broader response to the devastating Dana storm. Under the new regulation, workers may take up to four days of fully paid leave if extreme weather makes it impossible to travel to work. This period can be extended until conditions improve. After four days, companies may declare force majeure through temporary suspension measures (ERTE), with public support. The policy also obliges collective agreements to include action protocols for weather-related risks and allows workers' representatives to halt work during official alerts without penalties for workers. Employers must ensure safety by providing timely risk information and suspending activities when necessary.
Read on: in English… Read on: in Spanish…
For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.