July, 13th 2020

Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee of 2 July 2020

Key messages:

Robust European Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Strategies should:

• provide a legal and empowering European framework based on human rights, and therefore including labour and trade union rights and ethical rules.

• maintain and reinforce workers’ protection, prevent disproportionate and undue surveillance at work, prohibit discriminatory treatments on the basis of biased algorithms, and prevent abuse of data protection and privacy, ensuring compliance and going beyond GDPR and maintaining their privacy when not at work.

• classify AI applications affecting workers’ rights and working conditions as high-risk in principle and subject to appropriate regulation.

• address the specificity of the workplace, including the bargaining inequality between workers and employers. The principle of ‘human remains in control’ should apply to workers and managers.

• provide for AI and digital literacy schemes. Education and transparency of AI systems and of new technologies is important for workers to be able to understand and be part of, the fair implementation

Read the full document here.