Ranchi, 12 June : The Center for strategic and international studies’ Global Just Transition Network along with Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur’ s Just Transition Research Centre hosted a workshop on “The role of Coal Industry Trade Unions in Facilitating a Just Transition”
The workshop was held on June 11, 2022 at the Conference Hall of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Just transition is a framework developed by the trade union movement to encompass a range of social interventions needed to secure workers’ rights and livelihoods when economies are shifting to sustainable production, primarily combating climate change and protecting biodiversity
The representatives of the five key coal industry unions that included Akhil Bharatiya Khadan Majdoor Sangh (ABKMS) affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation (HKMZ) affiliated to Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Indian National Mineworkers’ Federation (INMF) affiliated to Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Indian Mine Workers Federation (IMWF) affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and India Coal Workers’ Federation (AICWF) affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Unions attended the workshop.
This is the first-time in India that coal industry trade unions shared their perspective on just transition related to the coal sector.
“This was a historic and significant workshop. India has pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2070 and have signed on to the global coal phase down and just transition pledge at the Conference of Parties in Glasgow last year. However, coal industry unions, who are one of the most important stakeholders for implementing any just transition agenda have never been engaged before. We hope that this is the beginning of such an engagement,” said Dr. Sandeep Pai, Senior Research Lead at the Center for Center for strategic and international studies.
Apart from the unions, senior coal industry officials such as Vinay Ranjan, Director Personal, Coal India Limited, P M Prasad, Chairman cum Managing Director, Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Manoj Kumar, Chairman cum Managing Director, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) also spoke at the workshop. Moreover, Partha Sarathi Bhattacharyya former Chairman Coal India, and RR Mishra, Former Chairman Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) also spoke at the workshop.
The purpose of the workshop was to have an honest dialogue with the coal industry unions on just transition in India. The workshop aimed to brainstorm ideas of how just transition a concept be institutionalized within the coal industry in India.
“We are a coal-dependent country, and it will be tough to move or even think beyond coal. There is no clear-cut solution, and the best way to approach it is to have discussions and deliberation with the stakeholders to create a roadmap. This workshop is a first of its kind and initiates the dialogue with the unions and coal industry on just transition,” said Dr. Pradip Swarnakar, Professor at IIT-Kanpur.
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