Social dialogue and AI: Global Deal focus group on social dialogue and the use of AI systems in the workplace

The rise of generative AI technologies and other advanced AI systems has significantly transformed workplaces. While the introduction of AI offers substantial benefits in terms of productivity and its potential for automation and augmentation of tasks, it also raises concerns about job displacement, work intensification, privacy, respect for labour rights, equality, and accountability. This is where social dialogue becomes crucial as a tool to generate consensus between representatives from workers’ and employers’ organisations and governments to address labour market challenges.

Effective social dialogue requires effective access to the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, as well as mutual respect and trust to create favourable conditions for collaboration. As a joint ILO-OECD initiative, the Global Deal is a multi-stakeholder partnership for the promotion of social dialogue to promote decent work and sound industrial relations. The Global Deal recently conducted a focus group to explore the impact of AI on employment and working conditions and the role of social dialogue when introducing AI systems in the workplace.  

Findings of the focus group

Drawing on the focus group’s insights, the Global Deal released a note on the role of social dialogue in addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of AI systems in the workplace. It discusses:

• AI adoption in the workplace
• The AI divide
• Social dialogue for the safe, ethical and responsible adoption of AI
• Examples of good practices

The Global Deal promotes social dialogue for the adoption of AI

Social dialogue involves exchanging information, consultations, negotiations, and joint actions between primary stakeholders in the labour market – governments, employers, and workers. It aims to find common ground and develop shared strategies to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI. Acknowledging the significance of fair and inclusive practices in the workplace, the focus group contributed to the debate on the introduction of AI in the workplace, focusing on three aspects:  

1. The impact of AI on employment and working conditions by assessing the implications of AI technologies on occupations and skill requirements.
2. The adoption of AI in the workplace through social dialogue by discussing strategies to manage job displacement and support reskilling and upskilling efforts to address risks and leverage opportunities.
3. The promotion of social dialogue to accompany labour market transformations by compiling and sharing good practices of successful AI integration in the workplace.

Social dialogue for the safe, ethical and responsible adoption of AI

The design and development of technology and its introduction to the workplace is not a spontaneous or automatic process. It requires humans to make decisions so that a positive change in the world of work materialises. In this regard, social dialogue plays a pivotal role in facilitating AI adoption by smoothing transitions, fostering fair and inclusive labour markets and mitigating the negative impacts of AI in the workplace. As labour markets navigate significant transitions, fostering effective social dialogue is essential to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, ensuring that the benefits are shared and potential risks mitigated.

Given AI’s rapid evolution, it becomes necessary to further explore the role of social dialogue in supporting the various changes in the workplace, addressing concerns, harnessing AI’s benefits, and mitigating its risks.

Now, more than ever, social partners stand to play a crucial role in:

• Measuring the implications of AI on occupations and skills and fostering workers’ training;
• Supporting labour market institutions to ensure effective labour market transitions;
• Monitoring and addressing the impacts of AI-based technologies on occupational health and safety in the workplace, productivity, wages and job stability;
• Ensuring that algorithmic management protects labour rights and personal data;
• Preventing discrimination and bias in decision-making by ensuring human oversight, especially in the context of HR policies, giving workers the possibility to contest AI-made decisions;
• Enforcing cybersecurity, combating misinformation in the workplace, and protecting workers’ data.

Examples of good practices

During the focus group, participants reviewed several good practice case studies that highlighted various approaches to promoting freedom of association, collective bargaining, and, more broadly, social dialogue. These practices aim to support AI’s safe, ethical, and responsible adoption in the workplace.

1. Inclusive approaches to harness the benefits of AI for all – the United States Executive Order on AI

The United States of America (U.S.) Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence underlines the importance of involving various stakeholders in developing and implementing AI policies to ensure they are fair, transparent and beneficial to all. Building on the views of workers, labour unions, educators, and employers, the Executive Order requires that the critical next steps in AI development should support responsible uses of AI that improve workers’ lives, positively augment human work, and help all people safely enjoy the gains and opportunities from technological innovation. As part of the Executive Order, the Secretary of Labor published principles and best practices for developers and employers to be used to mitigate AI’s potential harms to employees’ well-being and maximise its potential benefits. They provide a framework for the ethical and responsible use of AI in the workplace by, for example, ensuring worker empowerment, human oversight, transparency and protecting labour and employment rights and worker data.

• Social dialogue to agree on a common approach: The European Social Partners Framework Agreement on Digitalisation

The European Social Partners Agreement on Digitalisation was concluded between the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), BusinessEurope, SGI Europe (as CEEP – European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services) and SMEunited in June 2020. It provides an action-oriented framework to encourage, guide, and assist employers, workers, and their representatives in supporting the introduction of digital technology in the world of work by taking a human-centred approach. Even though the agreement dates back to 2020, i.e. before the introduction of gen AI technologies, it provides important principles to ensure trustworthy AI, guarantees the human in control principle, upholds transparency in the deployment of AI and ensures data protection.

• Responsible adoption of artificial intelligence through collective bargaining agreements

The Public Services International (PSI) Digital Bargaining Hub  and the UNI Global Union Database of AI and Algorithmic Management in Collective Bargaining Agreements provide valuable resources for workers’ organisations to regulate the adoption of AI in workplaces in a way that respects workers’ rights and promotes transparency and fairness. The PSI database structures clauses found in collective bargaining agreements around eight themes, including one on ‘’Digital tools, artificial intelligence, and algorithms’’ further divided into four sub-themes. The UNI database focuses on AI and algorithmic management more specifically and categorises 23 collective agreements from various sectors and countries around eight topics. Both databases represent key resources to support social dialogue on introducing AI in the workplace, helping workers’ organisations identify key issues, anticipate changes and strategies, and build on successful experiences from unions around the world.

You can read the full note to explore how practical and effective use of social dialogue is helping organisations navigate the AI transition responsibly:

A diversity of perspectives in the OECD tradition

The focus group, chaired by Sabina Dewan, President of the JustJobs Network, included diverse perspectives from governments, trade unions, businesses, and employers’ organisations. After the kick-off session on 27^th March 2024, the first knowledge-sharing session took place on 7^th May, during which participants discussed the role of social dialogue and collective bargaining in the age of AI. The focus group held additional sessions on 4 June and 2 July to feature employers’ perspectives and approaches to AI regulation, with a final meeting on October 30, 2024.

Insightful presentations set the tone for the group’s discussions during the meetings. Janine Berg from the ILO, Julie Lassebie, Sandrine Cazes, Marguerita Lane and Angelica Salvi Del Pero from the OECD; Kate Lappin and Hannah Johnston from Public Services International; Maxime Staelens and Guillaume Afellat from SGI Europe; Massimo Mensi from UNI Global Union; and Mary Beech, U.S. Department of Labor contributed to harnessing collective knowledge and collaboratively navigating the evolving landscape of AI in the workplace.

Alignment with OECD AI Principles

The activities of this focus group are aligned with the OECD AI Principles, which advocate for the responsible stewardship of AI technologies. These principles emphasise the importance of inclusive growth, sustainable development, human-centred values, transparency, robustness, and accountability. One key recommendation for policymakers is to build human capacity and prepare for labour market transitions by ensuring fair support for workers affected by AI.

By fostering social dialogue, the focus group aimed to ensure that AI adoption in the workplace is ethical and responsible, safeguarding workers’ rights and promoting an inclusive approach to technological advancement.

More insights and good practices on how social dialogue can help maximise the opportunities brought about by AI and protect workers from potential risks will be included in the 2024 Global Deal Flagship Report. Register now for the launch on 25 November 2pm CET:

https://meetoecd1.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oY3cigdNSZ2MRkV4S9asmQ

For further information or inquiries, please contact the Global Deal Support Unit at GlobalDeal@oecd.org.