Spanish worker’s death shows need to adapt to climate change

By RAQUEL REDONDO and BARRY HATTON
Associated Press

MADRID (AP) — The death of a street cleaner during a heat wave in Madrid is driving a debate in Spain about the need to adapt labor rules to the realities of climate change. Most importantly, officials and unions are trying to ease the heat inequalities faced by lower-earning workers and families. When street cleaner José Antonio González started his afternoon shift in Madrid, the temperature was 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Three hours later, the 60-year-old collapsed with heat stroke and died. In Spain, activists are pressing for work hour changes during heat waves, while in Britain, unions want the government to set maximum heat standards for indoor workers.