The Importance of Worker Employability Takes Center Stage

The Importance of Worker Employability Takes Center Stage

A Head's Up: Robots and AI are Taking Over Jobs, But UNI Global Union is Ready

UNI Global Union, the union representing over 20 million workers worldwide, isn't deterred by the looming job displacement due to robots, AI, and machine learning. Instead, they're taking the warning signs and research seriously, acknowledging the need for proactive action to ensure workers remain employed.

Philip Jennings, UNI's fearless leader, emphasizes, "We must focus on the employability of workers through continual upskilling, lifelong learning, and adapting our current vocational and education systems, along with higher education institutions."

According to the World Bank Development Report 2016, substantial job displacement is on the horizon. The report, while facing some criticism, predicts a hollowing out of middle-level jobs, leading to a time-glass shaped labor market with an increase in manual, low-skilled jobs and high-skilled ones.

However, UNI Global Union doesn't view job displacement as a novel occurrence brought about by technology. History has already shown us numerous instances of jobs and skills evolving in response to new tools and processes. But the sheer scale and speed of digital change demands immediate, proactive policy and strategy adjustments.

Key to this survivability is ensuring the employability of workers.

Digital retraining is recognized as a fundamental labor right by UNI Global Union. This ensures workers have ongoing access to the education and skill development needed to keep up with new technologies.

Employers and unions are encouraged to partner and co-develop training programs that cater to the needs and concerns of workers in the AI era. This collaboration not only allows for feedback on new tools but also helps establish joint policy positions and fosters collective solutions to technological change.

Transparent communication between employers and employees about technology adoption and its impacts is crucial. This open dialogue helps build trust and gives workers the opportunity to prepare for change. Anticipating labor concerns and aligning AI strategies with legal and ethical standards can help mitigate reputational risks and negative social impacts.

UNI Global Union also advocates using collective bargaining to secure workers' interests. European initiatives, endorsed by UNI Europa, link public procurement to collective bargaining and quality jobs, ensuring that companies awarded public contracts uphold labor standards and invest in workforce development.

Beyond technical competencies, soft skills such as communication, emotional intelligence, and leadership are increasingly valuable. Unions like the United Brotherhood of Carpenters are investing in training that builds these skills, essential for adapting to new work environments and leading teams in evolving industries.

Translating these recommendations into action, UNI Global Union hopes to ensure that workers are not left behind in the digital era, but instead thrive by embracing innovation through continuous learning, robust labor rights, and collaborative governance.

| Policy/Strategy | Description ||-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|| Digital retraining as a right | Ongoing access to training for workforce adaptation || Partnered training | Joint employer-union development of programs and feedback on tech tools || Transparent communication | Open dialogue about technology adoption and impacts || Collective bargaining | Negotiating for training, fair wages, and job security in the face of change || Social procurement | Using public contracts to enforce labor standards and workforce investment || Soft skills development | Training in communication, emotional intelligence, and leadership to complement tech skills |

1. Embracing the employability of workers through continual upskilling and adapting education systems is a crucial focus for UNI Global Union.
2. Digital retraining is recognized as a fundamental labor right by UNI Global Union, ensuring workers have ongoing access to education and self-development, including skills training, necessary for keeping up with new technologies.
3. In the AI era, employers and unions are encouraged to partner and co-develop training programs that cater to the needs and concerns of workers, promoting career development by addressing concerns and fostering collective solutions to technological change.

Read also: