The Associated Labor Unions (ALU) champions just transition as part of its commitment to building a sustainable, equitable, and future-ready economy that leaves no worker or community behind.
ALU’s advocacy seeks to integrate environmental responsibility, technological innovation, and social justice, ensuring that responses to climate change, automation, and industrial transformation also protect and empower workers. A just transition means that as industries shift, workers are not left behind but are supported through retraining, job guarantees, and social protection.
ALU calls for inclusive and participatory policymaking, where workers have a voice in shaping national and sectoral transition plans and where unions play a key role in ensuring that new industries create decent, secure, and dignified jobs.
The union also works to raise awareness, provide credible information, and engage in dialogue on the impacts of climate change, automation, and energy transition. Through partnerships with government, employers, and civil society, ALU advocates for a future of work that is not only green and digital, but also fair, inclusive, and rooted in the principles of decent work and social justice.
Some notable and landmark projects of the ALU on Just Transition are the following:
Hackathon: Young Workers for Climate Action is an educational program for the ALU to mainstream Just Transition and climate action designed for the youth sector of the federation. Hackathon was designed by the ALU to share local and global realities of climate crises, and elicit stories of change, challenges, and commitment to grow in knowledge as well as take collective and individual climate action to pursue a green economy.
The first leg of the Hackathon was in Davao City on 10–11 October 2023 involving the youth of Northern Mindanao and Southern Mindanao in transport and energy sectors. The second leg of the Hackathon, held in Mandaue City on 16–17 November 2023, targeted young workers in the cement, maritime, and docking sectors from Central Visayas. The third and final leg of the Hackathon series was in Tacloban City on 19-20 February 2024, which engaged the pulp & paper, energy, and agriculture sectors.
