n By Keith Hatch
that nothing has changed since Unite member Matthew Campbell was killed while working outdoors during Storm Ali in 2018.
‘‘ 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
Progress in adapting to Climate Change:
2025 report to Parliament
“Existing health and safety legislation dates back to the 1970s and has not kept pace with the reality of climate change. It’s time to climate-proof our health and safety legislation and ensure that workers are not made to pay for a climate crisis not of their making.
“If politicians fail to take action, Unite will explore the option of holding independent workers’ inquiries to fully investigate workplace accidents and ensure those responsible are exposed.”
The online survey was completed by 1,225 Unite members from across Northern Ireland between February 12 to 19, 2025. Of those outdoor workers that responded, 59 per cent were required to work outdoors during the storm, and, of those, 74 per cent felt unsafe working outdoors with 66 per cent not feeling their employer had taken all reasonable precautions to keep them safe.
“Simultaneously, the hot and dry conditions in summer 2022 led to an unprecedented number of wildfires, with many fire and rescue services declaring major incidents in July 2022 following a 500 per cent increase in 999 calls.”
The Unite report follows the union’s campaign for a Matthew’s Law, named after Matthew Campbell, a 24-year- old electrician from Northern Ireland who was killed by a falling tree during Storm Ali in September 2018.
Matthew had been working in the Slieve Gullion Forest Park in County Armagh at the time and had returned to lock up a pumping station when a 200-year-old beech tree fell in the 90 mph winds.
A judge at the time slammed both the council who owned the park, and the construction firm who employed Matthew, for ignoring weather warnings and poor risk assessments.
At the launch event Unite regional secretary Susan Fitzgerald said, “Our survey of Unite members shows
The survey was anonymous, but one member working in food production said that during Storm Éowyn, “The roof lifted off in the dispatch area of the workplace. The health and safety manager wanted employees to move 20 feet away and keep working. Only when the reps got involved did the factory get closed as the roof was made of asbestos.”
Another member, working in road transport, said, “We were told we are essential workers. We were also driving high side vehicles in the storm. Profit before people’s safety. Then we had to drive home in the eye of the storm – total disregard for the employee's safety.”
The report lays out Unite’s demands around specific extreme weather legislation to protect workers from the workplace impacts of climate change. These primarily cover two areas, “extreme weather events” and “natural disasters and extreme temperature events”.
The first includes, “A statutory obligation on employers to conduct extreme weather risk assessments for all employees – including for essential workers travelling to and from work
17 uniteLANDWORKER Spring 2026
during extreme weather events”; and “a legal obligation on employers to implement graduated alert-based responses, with outdoor work ceasing during amber alerts and all non- essential work ceasing during red alerts.”
The report also says if work ceases due to extreme weather workers should still be paid as normal, and employers must not deduct pay or require workers to take leave. These protections must also cover self- employed workers.
Regarding extreme temperature events the report demands the establishment of “maximum temperatures depending on the type of work and the working environment and obliges employers to attempt to reduce temperatures.”
Employers must monitor temperatures, conduct risk assessments, establish specific provisions protecting ‘at risk’ groups of workers and have specified monitoring and mitigation measures.
The report also calls for ILO recommended legislation recognising illnesses caused by extreme workplace/site temperatures as occupational diseases.
Paul Travers, national officer, welcomed the report and said, “This is a fantastic report and a sobering read for many people who earn a living working outdoors and are on the front line when it comes to facing the challenges of a changing climate.
“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.”
FIND OUT MORE To read Unite's Workers in
the eye of the storm report, visit
https://bit.ly/4o0nvXD or scan the QR code below
Getty Images
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