Union calls for extreme-weather leave as counties brace for more rain

A union has reiterated a call for the introduction of climate leave when extreme weather makes it impossible to get to work, as parts of Ireland deal with the clean-up after Storm Chandra.

It is part of a series of proposals from Unite on Thursday, while people dealt with serious traffic disruptions because of flooding and debris on road and rail routes.

A burst water main in the Fairview area of Dublin added to weather-related commuter chaos in the capital.

Subsidence also sent a tree on to the Dart rail route near Portmarnock, closing the service between Portmarnock and Howth Junction for a period.

The line, which also affected services to Belfast, has reopened.

Heavy winds and torrential rain on Tuesday caused significant disruption across the island of Ireland, including power outages, flight cancellations and 300 school closures in Northern Ireland.

Rivers burst their banks, including the Slaney in Co Wexford and the Dodder in Dublin, with fallen trees reported across the island.

Up to 20,000 properties were without power at the peak of Storm Chandra.

The scale of the flooding in some areas has heaped pressure on forecaster Met Eireann and the Government over whether the warnings were sufficient.

Heavy rain falling on already saturated ground and high river levels could cause further flooding on Thursday.

Met Eireann issued a yellow rain warning for the whole day in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin.

Clean-up operations continued amid the threat of more rain in some of the worst-affected towns, like Enniscorthy and Aughrim, and areas in South Dublin.

These areas were on the itinerary for Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Kevin “Boxer” Moran on Thursday, as he assessed some of the flood damage after Storm Chandra.

His visits come amid anger at delays to flood relief schemes around the country.

Unite has called for four days paid leave if extreme weather makes it impossible to travel to work and four days paid leave to be available if workers need to address needs at their home.

The union’s demands also include a legal obligation on employers to implement graduated alert-based responses, with non-essential outdoor work ceasing during amber/orange alerts and all non-essential work ceasing during red alerts.

They say that workers should be paid as usual for days where work is required to stop because of the weather.

Unite also wants a 24C “action level”, where heat management controls must be put in place, and an absolute maximum of 30C for when work should stop if it cannot be prevented.

Unite’s Irish secretary Susan Fitzgerald said there was an urgent need to update health and safety legislation to keep up with scientific evidence on climate change.

Meanwhile, Irish Congress of Trade Unions president Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: “When storms strike, many workers are advised to work from home where possible.

“But many others can’t work from home, either because their employer can’t or won’t facilitate that or because they are essential workers.

“All employers must be compelled to prioritise staff safety and ensure that workers do not pay the price, financially or in terms of their wellbeing, for extreme weather events.”

In Northern Ireland, further rain is expected to fall on already saturated ground and the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning from midnight until 6pm on Friday.

While the wettest conditions are likely over Antrim and Down, there is potential for many areas to see 10-25 mm build up, with 40-60 mm over some hills.