Relay on top of fuse box - wires get overly hot

So I've got the old style fuse box (ceramic, non blade fuses) and there is a relay on top of the fuse box. When I had the car ignition on first click, without engine running (trying to trace a wiring issue elsewhere) i accidentally touched these wires and found they were overly hot.

What is this relay actually for and is it normal for them to get hot to the touch? The wires haven't melted so it seems okay for now, but slightly concerned. Any ideas what might be causing them to get hot without the engine running?

year and model plz

Ah my bad, 1980, Five door Tin top.  Golf GLS, 1.5 Carb engine.