Everyone should benefit from digitization
Syndicom launched the discussion on the impact of digitalization on the world of work and society at a digitalization conference on Friday. The central demand is that there must continue to be enough work for everyone in the future. Working conditions and wages should improve.
Internet entrepreneur Leo Keller described the drivers and technologies behind the digital revolution. "Keller is convinced that "everything that can be digitized will be digitized. Computers can already understand texts like a ten-year-old child, which leads to enormous possibilities in the evaluation of data. One of the next big developments is the Internet of Things, for which Swisscom will provide the network. It is expected that billions of devices will be connected worldwide within a few years. Entire industries will be transformed by the platform and sharing economy, by digital forms of payment such as Bitcoin, automation and the increasing use of robots.
Labor sociologist Dr. Martin Kuhlmann from the Sociological Research Institute in Göttingen explained the labor policy challenge of digitization. He said that it is not so much the technologies that are changing work, but rather the management and organizational concepts. Basically, these are evolutionary developments that will take place over many decades. This gives society enough time to adapt. The key is that employees can play a role in shaping work processes, which represents a great opportunity for the trade unions.
Promote lifelong learning
Christophe Degryse, journalist and researcher at the European Research and Education Institute ETUI in Brussels, presented the state of research. For the trade unions in Europe, three issues are at the forefront: reductions in working hours, further training and redistribution. The gains resulting from automation and robotization must be distributed fairly. However, this requires a different distribution of power between capital and labor. If we want to avoid social unrest, we have to break the power of capital. The value of work and thus the value of people must be in the foreground and strengthened.
"Syndicom wants everyone to benefit from the opportunities of digitalization and for the dangers to be decisively countered in good time," said Syndicom Executive Board member Giorgio Pardini, introducing the discussion on theses on digitalization. In these theses, Syndicom addresses collective bargaining and industry policy, social policy and its own organizational development. For Syndicom, it is central that lifelong learning is promoted at all levels. In addition, it must be ensured that there is still enough work for everyone. For syndicom, this includes the discussion on working life and reduced working hours. From the point of view of the national economy, Syndicom considers it crucial that the basic supply of digital and logistics services is at the highest international level at all times.
