Hyderabad: The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union has urged the state government to take effective measures to protect workers’ health amid the increasing intensity and frequency of heatwaves.
An official statement published on Saturday, June 29, cited the UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) report predicting that India will lose 5.8 per cent of its work hours by 2030, owing to extreme heat.
It said their surveys revealed that 46 per cent of workers had experienced heat exhaustion due to extreme outdoor temperatures this year.
“The scorching heat in the summer is unbearable. This year has been unusually hot. I have frequently experienced fatigue, dehydration, dizziness, and nausea. But I can’t afford to take time off. I neither have paid leaves nor health insurance,” a gig worker lamented.
Owing to all heat-related consequences, the union has demanded the state government provide amenities such as cool drinking water, clean washrooms, shaded areas with seating and cooling facilities, lightweight protective gear, and oral rehydration solutions.
