Hamme (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Workers in Hamme protested outdated safety clothing rules during heat waves. Supported by ACV and leader Peter Stalmans, they urged Mayor Lotte Peters to allow cooler outfits like shorts.
As VRT News reported, workers in Hamme, a municipality in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, are protesting against safety clothing rules they think are too old. These rules don’t consider the very hot summer weather. The workers, especially those who work outside, want to wear lighter, more breathable clothes. They want to wear things like shorts and T-shirts or sleeveless shirts when it’s hot.
They say the current rules, which require heavy pants and sometimes jackets, are not comfortable and could be dangerous in the heat. The Christian trade union ACV backs them up. They say the workers don’t have many safety risks during their regular jobs. Peter Stalmans from ACV said that the strict rules without changes put workers’ health at risk, and don’t understand what it’s like to work in the sun all day.
What can Hamme do to ease work clothing rules in the heat?
Workers in Hamme wanted to bring attention to a problem they’ve been dealing with. The workers feel their concerns have been ignored for a long time. The union says the safety person has always said no to changing the rules about what clothes they wear. Other towns have changed their rules to help workers stay cool in the heat.
Places like Mechelen, Lokeren, and Sint-Niklaas have made changes. They let workers wear different clothes in hot weather. The workers in Hamme hope their protest will help. They want the town to change the rules. They want a better way to keep workers safe from the heat.
“In this heat we want to wear shorter but sturdy work trousers and a T-shirt or a ‘marcelleke’. Our maintenance work involves little or no risk.”
Road works department employees
Peter Stalmans, a union leader, said he talked with Mayor Lotte Peters about the dress code. The workers are upset about the strict rules, especially when it’s very hot. Stalmans wants to find a good way to balance comfort and safety. He says this is important because the world is getting warmer. He thinks the safety person is being too strict.
He gave an example of not being able to wear shorts while using a lawn mower with a bag. The union wants to keep everyone safe at work. But they also think the rules are too strict when it’s hot, especially for jobs outside that aren’t very risky, like taking care of the gardens.
Mayor Peters invited AC delegate Stalmans and a few team leaders to explain everything again to the board of aldermen.
“Without giving any clarity on, for example, wearing work shorts,”
She emphasised.
Mayor Lotte Peters spoke to the workers outside the town hall about the hot weather. She said the town already has a plan to help workers in the heat. This plan includes free cold water and new hats to protect from the sun. The work hours have also changed for the summer, from 6 a.m. to 2:06 p.m.
The mayor said team leaders know about this. She thanked the workers for their hard work, remembering how some cleaned up after a fair at 2 a.m. She plans to work with the staff on Wednesday. The staff gave her the heavy work clothes.
