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28 April, 2025On 14 April, IndustriALL and ITUC-Asia Pacific organized a consultation meeting in Kolkata with affiliated Indian coal mining unions to discuss energy policy and Just Transition, as the country prepares for the shift towards clean energy. This was followed by a roundtable meeting on 15 April between union leaders and employer representatives.
The discussion was organized as part of the APHEDA-IndustriALL project to develop strategies on union building through focusing on Just Transition in coal mining and renewable energy sectors. Representatives from ITUC-AP also joined. The consultation meeting aimed to assess the impact of the shift to clean energy on the current workforce in coal mining as well as devise ways to mitigate the risks associated with energy transition.
During the meeting, union leaders emphasized the need for a policy framework that protects the rights and livelihoods of workers and prioritises inclusivity, social justice and economic support for those most affected by the decline in usage of coal. Unions fear massive impacts on communities that are directly or indirectly dependent on coal mines in the country. Unions have been constantly raising concerns regarding the energy transition process in India being non-inclusive and largely involving representatives at the central government ministerial levels, non-governmental organizations and research academicians at the national and internation level, while excluding voices of trade unions, precarious workers, women workers and communities that are most vulnerable in the transition process.
Report of the Indian inter-ministerial committee on ‘just transition from coal’ reported that the country's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 necessitates a significant shift from coal dependent energy production to sustainable alternatives which poses challenges, particularly for communities reliant on the coal mining sector for their livelihoods. The committee emphasized the need for actionable policies to support this shift. But, when the Indian government established a just transition committee in September 2021, both IndustriALL and ITUC affiliates were excluded from the committee thereby limiting union inputs.
IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary Ashutosh Bhattacharya, says:
“Trade unions must be central to the policy framing of a Just Transition framework, ensuring no worker is left behind. A comprehensive policy should include gender inclusivity, phased mine closures, upskilling and retention of current workers, creation of well-paid green jobs, social protection measures and the active engagement of workers in decision-making throughout the transition.”
Union members also highlighted the need and significance of comprehensive research on the issue to develop a good understanding of the impact of energy transition on coal mine workers and other related workforce in order to develop feasible strategies for just transition.
During the roundtable meeting, representatives from Coal India and Tata Steel shared the information on environmental sustainability, mine closures, procedures and guidelines for closure as well as alternative employment and green jobs created in the process while stressing the need for more actions to be taken to ensure Just Transition.
IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kan Matsuzaki, says:
“To ensure a just transition, policies supporting incomes and job transitions are crucial. And equally important are tripartite discussions on the issue. Unions must push for social dialogue on just energy transition. We have to start building Just Transition plan and develop campaign today, rather than waiting for decarbonization changes at work to appear.”