CAMPAIGN Extreme weather
Farmworkers caught in the eye of the storm
Unite Ireland has launched its Workers in the eye of the storm report aimed at safeguarding workers during extreme weather events.
The report, launched at Stormont’s Long Gallery last-June, details survey
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I fully support the demands laid out by Unite Ireland in the report and would urge the government to listen and put in place legislation to protect workers facing extreme weather and temperature rises
Paul Travers, Unite national officer
results from Unite members about their experiences during Storm Éowyn, and presents a range of legislative proposals to protect workers from the impact of extreme weather events.
Workers in the eye of the storm was produced by Unite, when the union asked members about their experiences during, and after, the storm. The results highlighted the need for ‘extreme weather’ legislation.
The need for changes in the law is vital as the climate crisis deepens and the impact on workers, particularly those working outside in the elements, increases.
Farmworkers are at the forefront of extreme weather events, and the latest report from the Climate Change Committee highlights some of the issues they face.
16 uniteLANDWORKER Spring 2026
Progress in adapting to Climate Change: 2025 report to Parliament, says, “There is now unequivocal evidence that climate change is making extreme weather in UK, such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and wildfire-conducive conditions, more likely and more extreme.
“The period between October 2022 to March 2024 was the wettest 18-months on record for England. Large amounts of farmland were underwater for long periods, which led to the second worst arable harvest in England since modern harvest records began.
“This came on the back of record- breaking heatwaves in summer 2022, which saw temperatures exceeding 40°C for the first time in many places and resulted in a record level of nearly 3,000 heat- related deaths recorded in England.
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