# Workers in freezing cold and heat may get breaks of at least 10 minutes written into law

- URL: https://syn.by/en/state/work-employment/workers-freezing-cold-heat-breaks/
- Published: 2026-11-12T12:56:48+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T12:56:48+00:00
- Section: Work & Employment
- Language: en
- RU edition: https://syn.by/ru/gosudarstvo/trud-i-zanyatost/rabotnikam-moroze-zharu-pereryvy.md
- BE edition: https://syn.by/dziarzhava/praca-i-zaniatasc/rabotnikam-marozie-spiakotu-pierapynki.md

> The rule has been included in the draft of a new version of the law "On Labour Protection". According to the Federation of Trade Unions, such breaks are often given only as a formality, for a couple of minutes.

![](https://syn.by/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/illustration-7048-1024x585.webp)

Belarus is preparing a new version of the law "On Labour Protection": under the draft, workers who work outdoors in extreme temperatures should get special breaks of no less than 10 minutes. This refers to severe frost and heat.

Today, 11 November, the topical issues of the new version were [discussed at a dialogue platform](https://t.me/profsouz_lesaipripodopolzovania/28238) at the national trade union centre. According to Belarusian state media, representatives of state administration bodies, the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, the House of Representatives of the National Assembly and other members of the interagency working group took part.

The initiative to increase the minimum length of breaks came from the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FPB). The proposal has already been included in the bill. These pauses, it is noted, will not replace the lunch break but will be additional rest time in difficult conditions.

Pavel Manko, the FPB's chief technical labour inspector, explained that there used to be problems with providing breaks. According to him, in a number of organisations they were given only as a formality, literally for a couple of minutes, and the rest time of workers in the same profession could differ depending on the enterprise.

Besides breaks, the FPB proposes introducing into the law the concept of "professional risk management", a set of measures from identifying hazards to eliminating or reducing them. The new version, according to the FPB, will clarify the rights and duties of employers in the sphere of labour protection.

In addition, the trade unions propose to establish that employers must support the training and encouragement of public labour protection inspectors. The FPB noted that the drafters of the bill took into account all the trade unions' proposals. The FPB is a pro-government organisation, and this is its own assessment of the work on the text.

The previous version of the law "On Labour Protection" came into force on 28 June 2020. In April 2026, according to pro-Russian outlets, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection initiated a large-scale reform of legislation in this area, and in July 2026 representatives of the government, trade unions and employers discussed a bill with the innovations.