Throughout June-July 2025, the TPOLS Secretariat has been involved in strengthening and developing alliances at the local, national, and international levels. This alliance strengthening agenda is closely related to issues that have arisen within the TPOLS network in the learning exchange agenda. The involvement of various actors also contributed to the development of the learning exchange agenda and the strengthening of the alliance. During June-July 2025, at least three main activities were identified by the TPOLS Secretariat, namely: (1) Collaboration between Academics and Labor Unions; (2) Learning Exchange and strengthening of local and international alliances; and (3) Sharing information and learning materials, as well as exploring the potential for developing a joint agenda.
Collaboration between Academics and Labor Unions
Within the TPOLS network, academics are actively involved in establishing and developing collaborative agendas with labor unions, particularly in research and publications related to labor issues. Several lecturers invited the TPOLS secretariat and labor union organizers to be involved in designing and planning the research agenda to be carried out by their students. Two students from a European university have conducted research and published it as learning material in the TPOLS network:
- Stéphane Maminindriana, a student at SOAS University of London, conducted a study on the failure of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management system in palm oil plantations, which was published on the TPOLS website under the title “The Other Side of Safety” on June 12, 2025;
- Tabea Meuter, a student at the University of Bonn in Germany, has completed her research on solidarity in the TPOLS network and published it on the TPOLS website on June 30, 2025, under the title “Solidarity as a Cultural Practice”. This research then became the topic of a learning exchange through a public discussion held on July 28, 2029, which featured two speakers from Sierra Leone and Indonesia who shared their experiences and knowledge, particularly in organizing women’s communities.
Thesis Review: “Solidarity as a Cultural Practice” Zoom Meeting, June 28, 2025
In parallel to students who have completed their studies and publications, several lecturers from European and Indonesian universities are also exploring the possibility of designing a student research agenda within the TPOLS network, involving the TPOLS secretariat and labor unions within the TPOLS network.
Learning Exchanges and Strengthening Local and International Alliances
- Strengthening Solidarity and Local Alliances
On July 6, 2025, the West Kalimantan Solidarity Alliance (KASBI, TPOLS, LIPS, LBH Kalbar, Link-Ar Borneo, AGRA Kalbar, and SERBUK Kalbar) attended the agenda of the Greater Borneo Workers Union (SPBR-KASBI), namely basic organizational education and a celebration of the fulfillment of several workers’ demands, although several other demands are still being fought for. Previously, SPBR-KASBI had invited the West Kalimantan Solidarity Alliance to jointly design and prepare an agenda of activities to strengthen the solidarity that had already been established.
The TPOLS Secretariat also attended a consolidation meeting organized by Serbuk Kalimantan Barat, which was attended by seven member unions (SBA) of Serbuk Kalimantan Barat in the palm oil plantation sector on July 9, 2025. This event was not only an opportunity for the SBA Serbuk Kalbar to share experiences and learn from each other, but also an effort to plan and find solutions to common problems.
In parallel to strengthening the Kalbar alliance, the TPOLS network is also planning and designing various collaboration agendas in various regions, such as Central Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, which will be implemented in the coming months.
- Strengthening Solidarity and International Alliances
One international alliance, consisting of various organizations in Europe, Africa, and Asia, is actively campaigning against the violations and destruction committed by the Socfin company in Asia and Africa. In a joint press release entitled “Investigations Show Socfin/Bolloré Plantations Harm Communities in Africa and Asia,” the international alliance presented the results of investigations and testimonies from affected communities regarding sexual violence, labor violations, land grabbing, forced evictions, restrictions on residents’ mobility, destruction of sacred sites, and contamination of community drinking water sources. The TPOLS network has connected with this international alliance as a follow-up to the International Conference on “A Just Transition in the Palm Oil Industry” in Bern, Switzerland, on December 3-4, 2024.
Participants of the International Conference on “Just Transition in the Palm Oil Industry” Switzerland, December 3-4, 2024
In addition to joint campaigns, the TPOLS secretariat is also collaborating with several international networks to develop learning materials in the form of booklet translations and short videos production, based on the learning results of communities in various countries around the world, which will be published in the coming months. These learning materials are expected to encourage the strengthening of learning exchanges among TPOLS networks, as well as strengthen international solidarity.
Sharing information and learning materials, as well as exploring the potential for developing joint agendas
The TPOLS-Network WhatsApp group is the easiest and fastest platform for sharing information. In addition to disseminating campaigns and advocacy on various issues in Africa, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua, Kalimantan, Java, and Sulawesi, the TPOLS WhatsApp group also becomes a platform for discussing issues or problems with similar interests. Several issues shared in the TPOLS WhatsApp Group have received positive responses for further consideration within the TPOLS network, including: the article “An Afternoon in Sendai: Youth Activism, Foodbank and Community Farm,” which is seen as a good example of community initiative in Japan for bringing together students, farmers, and migrant workers; an ebook from POREC (Policy Research Center) research on the gap between wages and real living costs, which has been a major concern in the TPOLS network in previous years; the need for education on organizing female workers was also a topic that was widely discussed in the WhatsApp group after Tabea’s online thesis discussion; The drafting and pressure actions to enforce the draft legislation, called the Estate Workers Housing Scheme Act, by the the Farm Society Support Committee (JSML) and the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM).
Among the various issues and problems that are currently developing, the TPOLS secretariat is also exploring the development of a joint agenda within the TPOLS network, such as developing a database of labor union cases, piloting a toolkit for investigating problems and organizing group discussions (Komik Peng), hosting public discussions on various emerging topics, and designing learning materials and other exchange platforms.