THE UK Government has been urged to put more protections in place for people working in extreme weather conditions.
It comes after Storm Eowyn hit Scotland on Friday, with a red danger to life warning issued between 10am and 5pm as strong winds of up to 100mph were recorded.
A teenager, 19, sadly died in hospital after his car was hit by a falling tree during the storm. He has since been named by police as Calum Carmichael.
While schools, public transport and sporting fixtures across the country were cancelled on Friday, many hospitality and retail businesses remained open.
Anonymous testimonies gathered by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) – Scotland’s largest trade union body – found that many workplaces insisted their employees still travel to work despite the rare red weather warning.
One testimony reads: “Severe red danger to life warning, we all have to go in and it’s a non-essential work, not a single person there is essential. I think it’s dangerous not just to us but is also encouraging people to endanger themselves and others by going out when there’s danger to life.”
Another testimony stated: “I received a message from the Scottish Government advising against all but essential travel during the storm. Even though bus services were cancelled, my employer arranged for someone to pick me up, insisting on my presence at work.”
On Tuesday, the Scottish Greens called for more protections for workers during extreme weather incidents such as Storm Eowyn.
Employment law is not devolved in Scotland, meaning any changes to legislation are the responsibility of the UK Government.
The Employments Rights Act 1996 allows for certain protections. Employees can remove themselves from any situations where they feel there is a threat to life, and workers can take a reasonable amount of unpaid leave to deal with unexpected emergencies involving dependents – such as a child – including sudden school closures.
The STUC said that employers’ should ensure they have a clear policy in place for dealing with extreme weather, particularly when there is an emergency alert system in place.
“We’ve seen the devastating impact of Storm Eowyn on communities across Scotland, with hundreds of thousands of homes losing power, railways brought to a standstill, and, tragically, the loss of life.
“As the climate crisis worsens, we will face increasing climate chaos, so we must be prepared to protect communities and workers against these extreme weather events.
“The best thing the UK Government can do is take real action to tackle the climate crisis and reduce emissions, but they must also adapt to the damage already done.
“Governments must face the reality of climate breakdown and adapt legislation to protect workers; We need to see robust rights in place for workers to stay safe during red weather warnings by rejecting shifts or avoiding unnecessary travel.”
The UK Government was contacted for comment.
