The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation on work and labour relations was the focus of a discussion organised by PEO and the Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA) as part of the World Federation of Trade Unions' Day of Action.
The discussion featured PEO secretary-general Sotiroula Charalambous and Dimitris Pantelis, head of the HRDA's Information Technology Services Unit.
The event was moderated by Petros Petrou, head of PEO's Economic and Social Affairs Office.
According to a PEO statement, Petrou said the issue raises a series of important questions: how much do these developments concern workers, how significantly do they affect the trade union movement in the short and long term, and to what extent can trade unions influence these developments.
He noted that whenever major technological advances have been introduced into production processes, similar concerns and debates have emerged, often taking on a propagandistic character with strong ideological overtones.
The trade union movement, he argued, must analyse the issue objectively and calmly, identify its implications for work and labour relations, and respond effectively in order to protect workers while promoting the principle that science and technology should serve the interests of employees.
Technology and social choices
In her intervention, Charalambous said the rapid technological development of recent decades has had a transformative effect on society's productive capabilities.
As has often happened throughout history, she said, societies tend to divide into supporters and opponents whenever confronted with new phenomena.
“In our view, that approach is non-dialectical and contrary to the way progressive class-based trade unions analyse and approach scientific knowledge and its achievements,” she said.
She referred to the International Labour Organization's 2026 report, A Moment of Choice: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Decent Work, which states that:
“Artificial intelligence does not inevitably lead either to social progress or to social catastrophe. The outcomes will depend on policy choices, institutions and governance.”
The new general-purpose technology
Pantelis placed AI within the broader context of technological and industrial revolutions and examined how previous technological transformations affected workers.
He also discussed issues including productivity, job transitions and the distribution of economic benefits.
Referring specifically to AI, Pantelis said it is increasingly viewed as the next general-purpose technology, comparable to the steam engine, electricity and the internet, innovations that fundamentally reshaped entire eras.
Many professions, he noted, combine tasks that can be automated with tasks that still require human involvement.
According to the figures presented, one in four workers worldwide is employed in an occupation where at least some tasks could be affected by automation.
Exposure is significantly higher in wealthier economies, where the overall figure is estimated at 34%, compared with 11% in low-income countries.
Source: CNA
