In this context, the role of trade unions becomes more important than ever, especially in protecting the rights, promoting the development of workers and ensuring a fair and humane labor market.
Adjustment and adaptation are key
In the event that AI completely replaces some manual or simple jobs, unions need to play an active role in supporting workers to change careers by providing career counseling, retraining, and job matching services to help workers find new opportunities. Adjustment and adaptation are key for workers to not only survive but also thrive in a volatile labor market.
According to Ms. Nghiem Thuy Lan - President of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Trade Union, the things that the Trade Union can implement in the current trend of using artificial intelligence are to organize training courses on new technology skills, data management, or soft skills needed in a working environment combining humans and machines. In addition, commit to ensuring data safety and security.
This means that unions can negotiate with businesses to set regulations around the use of AI, the protection of personal data, and the avoidance of excessive surveillance. Unions also need to engage in dialogue with businesses and governments to shape policies around the integration of AI into the workplace, advocating for policies and laws that protect workers, such as a minimum wage for those displaced by AI or reduced working hours.
Ms. Nghiem Thuy Lan also analyzed that when AI helps increase productivity and profits, the Union can ensure that these benefits are shared fairly between businesses and workers, through increased wages, improved social benefits, or equity sharing. In particular, the Union can support workers in changing jobs, helping them find new opportunities in other industries through career guidance and job connections. The above solutions and jobs clearly demonstrate the key role of the Union in supporting workers to adapt and develop in the AI era.
Protecting Workers' Rights in the Age of AI
At the Executive Committee meeting of the Industrial and Manufacturing Trade Unions Worldwide (IndustriALL) held in Istanbul, Turkey, at the end of November, the advantages and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) for workers and trade unions were discussed. Delegates and union leaders from around the world (including the Oil and Gas Trade Union, the Vietnam Industry and Trade Union, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Trade Union, and the Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Union) all emphasized the need to protect workers' rights in an era where AI is increasingly creating profound changes in the way work is conducted and structured.
Accordingly, employers and unions are encouraged to engage in open dialogue to build trust and cooperation to ensure a just transition in the AI era. With the continuous advancement of technology, to maintain competitiveness and employment, workers need to be equipped with the right skills. Therefore, one of the top tasks that unions need to focus on is training and developing skills for workers. Unions can organize continuous training programs to improve the technological capacity of their members. These courses are not only limited to familiarizing themselves with new technologies such as programming techniques, data analysis or operating automation systems, but also extend to essential soft skills such as time management, problem solving and teamwork in a digital environment.
In addition to training content, ensuring labor safety and security in the context of AI is also an important task of the Union. This is carefully analyzed by leaders and union officials because the increasing presence of AI in work monitoring and productivity evaluation can lead to concerns about privacy and personal data security. To ensure that the application of technology does not infringe on the basic rights of workers, the Union needs to negotiate with businesses to develop clear regulations on privacy, ensuring that workers' personal data is protected and used in a transparent and legal manner.
In addition, the Union must promote social dialogue to shape policies and legal frameworks related to AI. By participating in policy discussions with businesses and governments, the Union can support the development of regulations that balance the interests of all parties, and advocate for the implementation of policies to protect workers from the risk of job loss due to AI, such as unemployment insurance policies and minimum wage mechanisms for workers directly affected.
(Posted on the special edition of Labor Weekend Spring At Ty)
