Digitalisation of the economy and its impact on labour markets —

Christophe Degryse
Appendix
Examples <strong>of</strong> trade union initiatives
It is not possible to refer here to all initiatives taken by national trade unions
on <strong>the</strong> subject <strong>of</strong> digitalisation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>economy</strong>. As already mentioned, some
countries have been paying more attention to this question than o<strong>the</strong>rs. In <strong>the</strong>
following pages, we will attempt an – incomplete – overview that should
none<strong>the</strong>less, we hope, give some idea <strong>of</strong> how trade unions are thinking – <strong>and</strong>
acting – in relation to this matter. Some initiatives are still confined to studies,
analyses or conferences, while o<strong>the</strong>rs have reached <strong>the</strong> negotiating stage <strong>and</strong>
even, in some cases, gone as far as attempting to organise <strong>the</strong> workers on digital
platforms.
It is to be noted that only very recently have <strong>the</strong> trade unions begun to focus
on this topic, so that virtually all <strong>the</strong> initiatives mentioned in <strong>the</strong> following
pages were launched in 2014 or 2015 – a clear indication that <strong>the</strong> coming
months <strong>and</strong> years will be fertile in new developments <strong>and</strong> events.
1. General overview
As several authors have pointed out, <strong>the</strong>re exists in European public opinion
– <strong>and</strong> among labour forces – a natural tendency to resist technological
‘advances’ (McTernan <strong>and</strong> Reed 2015: 91). Just as globalisation brings, it is
said, economic gains that none<strong>the</strong>less entail a redistribution <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> winners
<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> losers, digitalisation will also enable gains (in terms <strong>of</strong> productivity)
that will have <strong>the</strong> simultaneous effect <strong>of</strong> fundamentally reconfiguring <strong>the</strong>
employment map. There will accordingly, as we have seen, be both winners
<strong>and</strong> losers.
For <strong>the</strong> trade union world in general, <strong>the</strong> social <strong>and</strong> labour stakes may be
summarised as follows:
1. <strong>Digitalisation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>economy</strong> will create but also displace <strong>and</strong> destroy
jobs. What kinds <strong>of</strong> preparation can be made to tackle this prospect?
— training: what kinds <strong>of</strong> training for new jobs? In what sectors?
— restructuring: how are <strong>the</strong> productivity gains to be mutualised,
socialised, distributed?
— job losses: what can be done about <strong>the</strong> workers who will be
definitively expelled from <strong>the</strong> labour market by algorithms? What
(new) forms <strong>of</strong> social assistance can be put in place for <strong>the</strong>m? What
permanent income support <strong>and</strong> welfare services?
52 WP 2016.02