Received from: TUC Young Workers' Conference
Congress notes:
Increased use of automation and AI in the workplace is occurring rapidly across all sectors. AI transforms how we work and offers opportunities to improve working lives, but new technologies pose significant risks.
An LSE survey found more than 60 per cent of firms have adopted new technologies or management practices since the start of the pandemic, but a TUC survey found only 5 per cent of workers would trust these technologies to make decisions about them at work.
Young workers are more likely to work in sectors with a higher risk of job losses resulting from automation and to believe they have been subject to surveillance at work.
A survey that showed 61 per cent of young workers believe that 25 percent of their future role will be performed by AI, with 38 per cent believing that AI will do 50 percent of their job in the next decade.
Efforts to organise workers in the platform economy, include the collective agreements secured at Uber and Deliveroo by the GMB.
Congress believes:
i. bad bosses will use AI to increase inequality, replace workers and drive down working conditions – alongside the existing human bias in data and algorithms, AI can repeat if unchecked
ii. the voice of young workers, in particular, is poorly represented in decisions made about the use of AI at work
iii. young workers will need new skills to adapt to the changing world of work and to respond to the potential challenges that new technologies pose such as driving discrimination and inequality
iv. the interests and needs of young workers must be at the forefront of adaptation to technological change in the workplace, and employers and government must ensure all workers are equipped with the skills they need in response to automation and AI and potential changes to jobs or job roles.
Congress calls on the TUC Young Workers Forum to:
a. target support for young workers to ensure their employment is protected in the short and long term in sectors that are at high risk of automation.
b. work with employers and government to provide opportunities for upskilling, retraining and redeployment for young workers whose jobs are impacted by technological change, and ensure the UK is leading in lifelong learning and skills development.
c. launch a campaign on the impacts of AI on young workers, including:
1. an event to discuss the impact.
2. research and a survey to understand the full impact on young workers.
3. supporting relevant campaigns by member unions.
4. developing and disseminating materials to support young workers whose jobs are impacted.
5. consider policies that enhance and protect young workers’ jobs, building on the TUC AI Manifesto.
6. call for a requirement for employers to consult with workers on new workplace technologies, as well as usage of existing technology, including algorithmic impact assessments.
TUC Young Workers Conference