Workplace union Unite has furthered its campaign for bus operators to protect drivers from extreme cab heat in warm weather by saying it will fully support staff who refuse to drive any vehicle that creates a risk to the safety of workers and passengers.
It notes that while ambient temperatures are predicted to reach 40 degrees centigrade in some parts of the country during the late-June heatwave, cabs can become even hotter because of glazing. High humidity exacerbates the issue, the union says.
Unite adds that a red weather warning for heat in some areas issued by the Met Office “is the highest level alert, meaning [that] there is a risk to life for everyone… not just those considered vulnerable such as the elderly or people with chronic health conditions.”
Core to the union’s ire are operators with vehicles that have defective cab air-conditioning or air cooling systems. It says that such buses should not be taken into service, and that drivers refusing them “should be able to state this without fear of repercussions from their employer.”
Unite claims that some operators are reluctant to repair broken air-conditioning or air cooling systems and says that some drivers “fear being disciplined or losing pay if they complain, as well as feeling under pressure to complete journeys on time.”
The union has reissued a letter for bus drivers to show to their employer when stopping work for safety reasons if a cab becomes subject to extreme heat, noting that employees have a right to do so under section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. It allows staff to stop work to remove themselves from a position of serious and imminent danger.
While acknowledging that no specific law governs maximum working temperature, the letter notes how all employees “are entitled to an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled” and that heat “is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations.”
Adds the letter circulated to Unite bus driver members: “I am not refusing to work today. I am refusing to drive the bus you have provided for me to carry out my work. Should a bus with a tested and functioning cooling system be provided, I will drive it for as long as it is safe for me to do so under section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996.”
General Secretary Sharon Graham has accused operators of being taken “by complete surprise” by heatwaves. “This is a problem that is worsening every year and needs urgent attention to keep people safe,” she says.
National Officer for Passenger Transport Wayne King adds that while refusal to drive a vehicle may be disruptive to passengers, “any cancellation of services will be down to the bus companies’ lack of action. It is time they worked with Unite to solve this situation once and for all.”
