On 30 June, the virtual session "Trade Unions and Just Transition" was held, organised by the Democracy at Work Fund (DWF) through Fundación Avina and FORGE, with the participation of four trade union and grassroots organisations from Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa. This conversation is part of a series of learning spaces promoted by the DWF to strengthen the role of workers in the face of the challenges of the contemporary world of work.

 

During the discussion, the notion of just transition was collectively understood not as a mere technological or energy shift, but as a deep social transformation that places workers—particularly the most precarious—at the center. The participants highlighted that a true just transition must be guided by enforceable regulations, democratic participation, and mechanisms to guarantee decent work, territorial justice, and social protection. Across their diverse contexts, the organizations reflected on the obstacles they face in the face of informality, extractivism, weak institutions, and ongoing violence.

 

The session brought together the Trade Union Front for Climate Action (Frente Sindical de Acción Climática – Argentina), the South African Waste Pickers Association (SAWPA) together with GroundWork, Sembada Bersama (Indonesia), and the Central Única de los Trabajadores (CUT – Brazil), who shared reflections drawn from their local struggles and organizing processes. Among the key ideas raised were:

 

• A just transition must not become an empty slogan; it requires enforceable regulatory frameworks, real worker participation—especially for the most precarious—and a strong role for trade unions in shaping public policies.

 

• Experiences from Argentina and Brazil underscored the importance of union-led advocacy in climate legislation, along with the need for continuous worker training to influence proposals and laws. The European experience was cited as proof that labor protections can accompany climate policy when there is political will.

 

• Speakers from South Africa emphasized that for waste pickers, justice means transitioning from informality to formal recognition. This includes integration into waste management systems, access to infrastructure and equipment, guaranteed safety conditions, and fair remuneration for services provided to municipalities.

 

• The lack of state protection was a shared concern: in South Africa, waste pickers are not compensated in the event of fatal accidents, and their work is criminalized. Despite acting as a union, SAWPA cannot register as one due to the absence of a formal employer.

 

• Participants called for strong alliances between trade unions, civil society, and popular movements to drive structural transformation and ensure that social dimensions are not sidelined by technocratic or corporate-led approaches.

 

• The Indonesian experience exposed the contradictions of the global green transition: while the Global North promotes electric vehicles, the smelting of nickel in Indonesia—used in those batteries—is powered by coal, with devastating local impacts. Over 135 deaths in nickel smelters were reported in recent years, alongside growing concerns over unrecognized occupational diseases like cancer.

 

• Foreign investment in Indonesia was criticized for lowering labor standards even further, deepening exploitation. Demands were raised for accessible diagnosis systems, compensation for occupational illnesses, and greater union density to build collective power.

 

• In Brazil, participants stressed that the energy transition must be grounded in democracy, with popular participation and strong institutions. They criticized the corporate capture of the transition, which prioritizes profit and displaces vulnerable communities.

 

• Reports from Brazil also denounced the violence and impunity affecting Indigenous communities and workers in areas targeted for wind and solar energy projects, warning that "greening" the economy without redistributing power will not bring justice.

 

• Across contexts, participants affirmed that there is no climate justice without social justice, and that transitions must be rooted in territories, equity, and rights.

 

The session underscored that there can be no climate justice without social justice. A just transition must challenge existing power dynamics and economic models, and can only be achieved through bottom-up, democratic processes that recognize the knowledge, agency, and rights of workers and communities on the frontlines.