Research from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has outlined how workers can get a fair share from the tech revolution that is set to change the world of work.
The report, A Future that Works for Working People, looks at how new technology such as AI, automation and robotics can pave the way for better working conditions – including higher pay and reduced workloads.
It is estimated that new technologies could boost UK GDP by at least £200 billion in the next decade. However, half of UK workers expect the benefits of this new technology to be hoarded by managers and shareholders.
The TUC has called on the government to ensure that workers also share in these gains by raising workers’ living standards and giving them more control at work.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Bosses and shareholders must not be allowed to hoover up all the gains from new tech for themselves. Working people deserve their fair share – and that means using the gains from new tech to raise pay and allow more time with their families.”
The TUC argues that reducing working time is a way to share the gains of increased prosperity. Eight in 10 workers want to reduce working time in the future – with 45 per cent of workers opting for a four-day working week, without loss of pay, as new tech makes work more efficient. The TUC says the UK should consider how to move to a four-day week over the course of this century.
There are, however, concerns about the impact of new technology on workers, with many fearing that their work will become more intensive and fast paced (66 per cent), while 72 per cent expect to be more closely monitored.
Despite this, many are positive about the change that technology can bring provided it is managed in the right way, including fewer dangerous jobs, more creative work and more enjoyable work.
“When the TUC’s first Congress took place 150 years ago, people worked ten hours a day with only Sunday off. But in the last century we won a two-day weekend and limits on long hours. This century, we must raise our sights to reduce working time again.
“If productivity gains from new technology are even half as good as promised, then the country can afford to make working lives better,” concluded O’Grady.
