Toward a Just Energy Transition: Trade Unions Advocate a Public Path Grounded in Article 33

Facing significant challenges in the energy transition in Indonesia, SP PLN, PP IP, and SPNP reaffirmed their strategic position through the Just Energy Transition Public Pathway Workshop organized in collaboration with Public Services International (PSI) and Mondial FNV on June 23-24, 2025, at Yello Hotel Harmoni, Jakarta.

This workshop continues the efforts of Indonesia’s electricity workers’ union to develop an energy transition framework grounded not in neoliberal market logic, but in the principles of social justice and energy sovereignty, as mandated by Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution.

The first day opened with a presentation on the latest developments in the electricity sector by Andy Wijaya, Secretary General of PP-IP. He highlighted the pressures of privatization, the weakening of public control, and the diminished role of the state in strategic decision-making in the energy sector.

The session continued with a presentation by Sean Sweeney, Director of Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED), who discussed the global crisis of a market-driven energy transition and explained how initiatives like the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) ultimately reinforce investor dominance.

“JETP is designed to create a ‘de-risking’ scheme for the private sector.” But the question is, where is the public’s position in this scheme? We need an energy transition that favors the people, not the market,” Sean emphasized.

In this session, Sean also presented an outline of the position paper titled Article 33 Scenarios: Towards a Public Pathway Approach for a Just Transition in Indonesia’s Electricity Sector. Where the first section discusses expansion, not transition: the reality of global and regional energy, presenting a summary of current glogal, regional, and national energy trends.

Section two, Indonesia: The Long Reach of Neoliberal Energy Reform and the “Privatization for Decarbonization” Agenda, places the proposed policy packages in a historical context. Although the JETP, the Energy Transition Mechanism from the Asian Development Bank (ADB-ETM), and the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) each have their own characteristics, they all share the same approach, an approach that can be traced back to the World Bank and IMF structural adjustment programs (SAP) of the 1980s and 1990s.

Part three, Behind JETP: The “Green Growth” Crisis and the Failure of “Blended Finance” examines Indonesia’s investment needs and looks at those needs alongside the latest investment trends.

Meanwhile, section four: Scenario Article 33: Towards the Public Path as an Alternative presents an outline of the “public path” approach to energy transition asapplied in Indonesia.

The second day began with group discussions. Participants were divided into four groups and asked to imagine themselves as a labor union delegation meeting with policymakers, with the challenge of explaining why the current energy transition approach is failing and why the public path based on Article 33 is the only alternative.

The simulation began with a rereading of the narrative from the JETP Secretariat, which referred to Indonesia as “addicted to coal” and emphasized that to attract renewable energy investments, coal subsidies must be eliminated, and the government must create an enabling environment for the private sector.

The participants responded critically. “This is not just about the energy source, but who controls it and who benefits.” “Energy is a public right, not a commodity to be traded,” said one of the participants. The union emphasizes that a public pathway is the only way to ensure a fair, democratic, and people-oriented energy transition.

The second day’s workshop then focused on deepening the strategy. On this occasion, participants examined the main arguments in the union’s position paper, including critiques of power wheeling, tariff liberalization, and the dominance of the Independent Power Producers (IPP) system. The union emphasizes the need to reject the narrative that renewable energy can only develop if it is controlled by the private sector.

“Privatization wrapped in green energy is still privatization.” The investment strike by the private sector in renewable energy shows that they are not interested in building systems, but only in selling projects,” said one participant. The discussion also emphasized the need to eliminate de-risking schemes, as well as strengthening state control and revenue retention from energy generation.

The union also highlighted the importance of the roles of domestic and international financial institutions, and urged the Indonesian government not to succumb to the pressures of donors and multilateral institutions. “We want Indonesia to be a pioneer of a fair global transition, not just a follower of global market interests,” said Sean.

On this occasion, Sean also delivered an important statement that marks the direction of the union’s struggle: “Electricity is not just a flow of electrons that lights up lamps or powers machines. Electricity is the foundation of modern life—it flows in people’s homes, schools, factories, and hospitals.” The question is: who controls it, and for whom?

He emphasized that when electricity is controlled by the market, the people lose control over their basic rights. “Electricity is a matter of human rights.” This is about human dignity—about fair access, affordable prices, and decent public services. If we want a just energy transition, it must start from a public and democratic energy system,” he added.

This session also focused on the development of an action plan. Educating members, grassroots organizing, and public mobilization are key to strengthening support for the public pathway.

“Trade unions must not just be victims of change. We must be the main actors of the change itself,” said a participant. Collaborative strategies among unions, enhancing research capacity, and public communication campaigns have been established as priorities moving forward.

Sean emphasized, “We are at an important crossroads.” “If we do not clarify the public path immediately, the energy transition will become a new field for the market and oligarchy.” He emphasized the importance of building strength from within the union, while expanding influence in the policy and public opinion space.

Internal steps that are prioritized include the formation of a cross-union working group to specifically focus on the energy transition agenda. This working group is expected to develop analysis, policy coordination, and campaign strategies based on Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution.

Additionally, the workshop participants agreed to revise or strengthen the position document related to Article 33. “This document must be able to address today’s challenges, not just repeat old rhetoric,” emphasized one of the union representatives. This revision includes a re-evaluation of the government’s energy policy direction and a reaffirmation of the union’s position in rejecting the dominance of market-based approaches.

To support the public campaign, the union will also develop educational materials that are easy to understand and accessible to the general public. These materials are designed to clearly explain what a public pathway is, why this approach is important, and how it aligns with the constitutional mandate.

At the external level, the union plans to release a press statement ahead of COP30 as a form of international stance. “We want to ensure the world knows that there are alternatives to debt-based and investor-driven energy transitions,” said Sean.

Another external strategy is to expand alliances with allied organizations both domestically and globally. This step is important to strengthen collective pressure against the privatization-based transition model.

Equally important, the union will also formulate a critical response to the RUPTL 2024–2033 document. The document is considered to still be too biased towards the private sector and does not provide enough space for a public approach. This response will be formulated as part of a broader policy advocacy strategy.