PM Fico Expresses Solidarity with Workers in Extreme Heat

Bratislava, 27 June (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) expressed solidarity with everyone working in extreme temperatures, including during a personal visit to road workers on the D2 motorway on Saturday, and thanked employers who comply with legal requirements related to high temperatures, describing the current legislation as adequate. Fico made the remarks during a Saturday press briefing. "I want to express my solidarity with everyone in Slovakia working in such extreme conditions as we are experiencing today. The legal framework in Slovakia is adequate. If we look at what the Labour Code says, what the 2009 Public Health Protection Act says, and the specific Health Ministry decree from 2016, there is a sufficiently flexible legal framework that enables employers, within their means, to provide employees with suitable conditions to cope during such demanding periods," the prime minister said. Fico said the legislation requires employers to ensure adequate hydration for workers. It also allows employers and employees to agree on earlier or later starting times and breaks during the working day. He stressed that employees working in extreme heat must also have access to rest areas that are at least partially cooled. More frequent rotation of workers is another available option, he added. "I want to thank all employers who comply with these rules. They do so because if they want to maintain their employees' productivity, they must create such conditions," Fico stated. He also urged employers whose staff work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned industrial halls to review the relevant legislation and, wherever possible, provide employees with the maximum level of support. Working in such conditions is sometimes close to an act of heroism, he said. Fico also called on trade unions to pay greater attention to the issue of rising temperatures. mf