Il presente contributo costituisce la rielaborazione, con l’aggiunta dei riferimenti bibliografici e di alcuni aggiornamenti, della relazione svolta al Seminario ETUC “Occupational Heat and Climate Change”, nella seconda sessione (“Migrant workers and exposure to occupational heat”), tenutasi a Palermo, Falcone Foundation, il 29 giugno 2026, destinato agli atti del Seminario.

This paper examines workers' exposure, particularly that of migrant workers, to extreme heat as a structural and predictable occupational risk exacerbated by climate change. It argues that effective prevention requires moving beyond individual measures, such as hydration, appropriate clothing, and workers' discretion to interrupt work, towards collective organisational measures, including mandatory risk assessment, workload adjustments, paid rest breaks, access to shade and drinking water, and emergency procedures.
The analysis explores the regulatory framework in Italy and the European Union, the role of collective bargaining, and the critical issue of work suspension due to excessive heat. It argues that effective wage protection during periods of work suspension is essential to prevent workers from having to choose between their health and their income.
Particular attention is devoted to migrant workers, whose contractual vulnerability, language barriers, and dependence on their immigration and residence status further increase their exposure to heat-related risks and limit their ability to refuse hazardous work.
The paper concludes that protection against extreme heat is not merely a matter of occupational health but also a test of labour justice and democratic credibility. It calls for integrated action through legislation, collective bargaining, effective enforcement, and a reconsideration of immigration and residence rules in order to promote the emancipation of migrant workers.