The meeting was held on 12 March.

Climate Change and the Green Transition: A Present-Day Concern for OSH

Having focused on the risks arising from new technologies, materials and processes of the green transition in a previous meeting, the emphasis now lay on the impact of climate change itself. Marouane Laabbas el Guennouni, researcher at the European Trade Union Institute, underscored that the intersection of climate change and OSH is not a challenge for the future—it is a pressing issue for the present. His presentation highlighted tangible impacts of, e.g., extreme weather conditions, UV radiation, vector-borne diseases and air contamination, which directly affect workers' health and safety.

He proposed a dual approach to address the issue: integrating discussions of OSH within climate change policies, and vice versa. He also emphasised the unequal impacts, citing sectoral divides (industries facing higher or lower hazardous exposures), sociodemographic divides (differences by age, workers with or without allergies, gender, etc.), and geographical divides. Southern Europe, for instance, experiences intense warming, droughts, and heavy rains, whereas northern and central Europe face increased vulnerability to vector-borne diseases.

Participants discussed how to adapt workplaces to minimise the effects, e.g., through better insulation of buildings, etc. IndustriAll Europe’s Deputy General Secretary, Isabelle Barthès, says: “Our clear appeal to employers is to conduct a climate change related risk assessment together with the workers’ representatives and make the necessary technological and organisational changes – now.”

The need for further research was also stressed in the meeting. Current studies disproportionately focus on heat-related risks in agriculture and construction, leaving other sectors and aspects of climate-induced hazards underexplored.

Psycho-Social Risks in the Workplace

Rob Miguel of Unite (UK) delivered a compelling presentation on Unite’s mental health campaign, shedding light on the scale of work-related illnesses in the UK. There are 875,000 cases of work-related stress, depression, and anxiety over the course of a year in the UK, with many thousands not identified due to the stigma or fear of coming forward.

The United ‘Minds Campaign’ is calling for:

  • New legislation around workplace stress and psychosocial risk - a law that sets out clearly the duties of employers to conduct specific risk assessments and the steps taken to control the risks

  • Employers to ensure that workplace stress risk assessments and consideration of psychosocial hazards are undertaken

  • Employers to ensure their mental health support programmes are fit for purpose

  • Specific guidance and training for government agencies and local authorities around enforcement actions

  • Establishment of a tripartite forum that includes unions, employers, and the government, specifically to discuss and agree on intended laws, codes of practice and guidance
Unite has chosen a holistic approach, focusing on both support and prevention. Employers are requested to address psycho-social risks, such as workload, relations with colleagues and supervisors, and badly communicated organisational changes. Unite extends its own assistance to members beyond workplace issues, offering advice on private stressors, such as debt, access to care facilities, and legal advice. 

Unite’s "stress at work" survey highlighted the profound effects of stress on physical health, as well as the immense pressures faced by Unite representatives themselves. Survey data revealed that 82.7% of Unite reps regularly deal with members' mental health challenges, compounded by their own experiences of stress due to reorganisation, redundancies, pay claims, and incidents of bullying and harassment.

Isabelle Barthès, says: “Our colleagues in the UK are campaigning for the same things that we want within the EU: solid legislation on psycho-social risks and a real commitment from employers to strive for improvement.” 

Advancing Occupational Safety and Health in a Challenging Political Landscape

Johan Danielsson, Member of the European Parliament, provided valuable insights into the current political context surrounding OSH. He highlighted the Omnibus proposals as emblematic of the European Commission's priorities, which focus on "simplification"—a move that eases burdens on employers but fails to enhance workers' rights. Danielsson cautioned that this approach is likely to dominate the Commission's agenda for the next five years, rendering progress on OSH files difficult. 

Despite these challenges, worker-friendly forces in the European Parliament have successfully advocated for OSH issues within the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Several own initiative reports are planned, including those on AI and algorithmic management, psycho-social risks, extreme temperatures at work, and subcontracting chains.

The EU Commissioner for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu, has also pledged action on psycho-social risks and AI, alongside extending the mandate of the European Labour Authority (ELA). However, Danielsson warned of the potential for conservative forces to align with far-right factions to vote down OSH initiatives, and stressed the need to find allies to push for positive change.

Continuing work on OSH in the battery industry 

Building on the Charter on OSH in battery production, industriAll Europe is advancing its efforts to address OSH risks within the battery industry. The focus now shifts to battery recycling workplaces, where the aim is to develop a practical document that provides clear and accessible information to workers and trade union representatives.