Work and Technology: Student and Union Perceptions in Portugal

Abstract

22 | International Union Rights | 25/3 FOCUS | INDUSTRY 4.0 The debate around work and technology produces mixed feelings for both students and trade unionists, although the former appear more receptive to the opportunities technology opens up When expressed in terms of technology, the question of the ‘future of work’ points to several possibilities, and multiple uncertainties. Based on the Portuguese context, this article highlights the perspectives of university students (who are, after all, the main protagonists of future work) and the perceptions of trade union representatives. A trail-blazing simulation in the academy During the academic year of 2016/2017, the University of Coimbra undertook a simulation of the International Labour Conference (ILC) – the first time in a European university1. The event was inspired by the Future of Work report of the 104th Session of the ILC2. The initiative mobilised 300 undergraduate, master and PhD students in economics, sociology, management, international relations, law, etc. – who, in accordance with the tripartite structure of the ILO, were tasked to act as representatives of governments, employers or workers. One of the debates highlighted by the simulation was the impact of technological changes on work and employment. Some of the topics underpinning this debate were: the role of industries of the future; types of digital work; implications of productive automation for working lives; individualisation processes in the management of working hours and non-working time; technological unemployment; requirements with regard to new skills; tensions between traditional service activities and technological platforms (e.g. taxi drivers vs. Uber). A set of proposals on the future of work emerged from these discussions: ■ Companies and governments should implement a co-financing programme enabling workers to benefit from the necessary training (without redundancies) in the event of changes due to the operationalisation or introduction of new technologies; ■ Government and company policies should maximise investment in research and development to optimise the potential of new technologies as promoters of social welfare and job creation; ■ Enhanced coordination between universities and the needs of the labour market should be established (adjusting teaching practices and programme contents to real needs, reinforcing the technological component of educational institutions or maximising vocational training to provide future workers with more technical skills); ■ Governments should examine and act on gender inequalities created by the incorporation of new technologies into labour markets and channel those technologies to reduce gender pay gaps; ■ Social partners should define limits concerning the type and number of machines that might directly replace jobs; ■ Public investment should be reinforced in the creation of technological incubators of the solidarity economy in universities, communities and social organisations. Trade union representatives’ perceptions One of the aims of a project at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra – entitled ‘Rebuilding trade union power in the age of austerity: three sectors under review’ – is to capture the importance attributed to ‘digital trade unionism’ in the metallurgical, transport and telecommunications sectors. This is an especially timely challenge in a trade union movement still very much characterised by ‘old’ practices: predominance of men (both at the top and base of the union hierarchy); low staff turnover; excessive proximity to political parties; qualification deficit of trade union staff; relatively low unionisation rate; timid focus on cyber-activism of social networks, etc. Confronted with the challenge of innovation, trade union representatives in these three sectors expressed a mixture of optimism and pessimism. Between a modest optimism… Some trade union officials recognised the merits of the digital age, in particular the following aspects: ■ The Internet helps organisations communicate quickly and cheaply to a broader audience and to create digital archives of materials developed by workers’ organisations around the world; ■ Unions’ mobilisation efforts have become more visible through the capacity to transmit information in real time, such as denouncing workers’ rights violations, sending out calls for action, or raising awareness of workers’ issues; ■ In the era of Industry 4.0, workers may gain more autonomy and perform more interesting and less arduous jobs; ■ There is a greater flexibility and reconciliation between employment and family life; ■ “A good website solves the issue of membership decline, as well as the format and level of communication” (interview with former trade Work and Technology...