The mercury hit 40 degrees Celsius in Paris today, as a brutal heatwave sweeps across Western Europe. For workers on the front line of this climate crisis, the heat is not just uncomfortable. It is a threat to livelihoods and health.
Bakers, construction workers, and delivery drivers are among those forced to toil in punishing conditions with little respite. Unions are calling for emergency measures, including mandatory water breaks and earlier shift finishes. The French government has activated its heatwave plan, opening cooling centres and urging the public to check on vulnerable neighbours.
But for those with no choice but to work, the reality is stark. 'We cannot afford to stop,' said one street vendor near the Sacre-Coeur, fanning herself with a tray of croissants. 'The bills do not wait for the heat to pass.
' This heatwave, scientists warn, is a taste of a future that will reshape our cities and our working lives. As the beams of the Eiffel Tower shimmer in the oppressive haze, the question hangs in the stagnant air: who will pay the price for this scorching new normal?
