Global Perspective on Coal Jobs and Managing Labor Transition Out of Coal
Impacts at Multiple Levels: The transition deeply affects jobs and livelihoods of the affected workers, communities, local economies, and local and regional government capacity.
Comprehensive Approach: A combination of local and national policies and programs is required to support the affected workforce, including informal workers not covered by existing policies.
Government Leadership: In places where traditional labor policies do not support affected workers, the governments must ensure temporary income support, plan for longer-term alternative employment solutions, and mobilize adequate financing for transition.
The Problem: There are close to 5 million workers globally directly engaged in coal mining. Traditional labor policies that support the transition of displaced coal workers to new jobs, while crucial, are insufficient.
Five policy channels: The following public policies and programs can facilitate workers’ transition:
Temporary income support such as employer severance pays or national social safety net.
Increasing workers’ capacity for jobs in new sectors through skills and entrepreneurship training.
Connecting workers to potential employers through job search assistance and mobility grants.
Stimulating private sector labor demand and local or regional business development through investment incentives aligned with strategic national, local, and/or regional priorities plus matching grant programs.
Ensuring the business environment and labor regulations are conducive to private sector investment and job creation.
Sustainable Alternatives: Integrating a sustainability perspective into these policy channels can help ensure that workers displaced from coal sector employment transition to sectors that are equally sustainable. Establishing clear sustainability criteria would also advance the concurrent goal of promoting a green economic transition.
Access the Global Perspective on Coal Jobs and Managing Labor Transition out of Coal Joint Report here.
