The signatories to the letter have branded the summit as a missed opportunity. “AI will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another, yet the communities and workers most affected by AI have been marginalised by the summit. The involvement of civil society organisations that bring a diversity of expertise and perspectives has been selective and limited. This is a missed opportunity.”
 
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is no surprise that a Conservative Prime Minister would not engage with trade unions, despite the fact we collectively represent millions of workers, this is a problem we have experienced from successive Prime Ministers over the last thirteen years. During the pandemic trade unions, government and employers came together to devise the furlough scheme. Usdaw specifically worked with ministers and retailers to agree safety measures to allow shops to reopen. Clearly lessons have not been learnt.
 
“The combination of the rapid development in artificial intelligence, as well as the increasing use of automated decision-making processes by employers are fundamentally changing the world of work as we know it. However, in light of the ever-growing use of these technologies, the protections offered to workers are increasingly being left behind.
 
“To truly safeguard our members from the risks of the tech revolution, we need to deliver a proper legal framework that focuses on the protection of workers' rights; gives workers a voice when new technologies are being introduced and delivers specific provisions on equality issues, providing real safeguards against discrimination.
 
“While the world of modern technology, generative AI and automated decision-making processes may seem complex, we should not forget to ensure that unions have the right to protect our members. As part of this, we need a greater focus on skills and development. An estimated nine-in-ten employees in the UK will need to retrain by 2030. This means retraining is essential when it comes to preparing for the future of work.
 
“Yet the Government is clearly not listening. For technology to benefit working people it must be accessible to all workers, which means the Government and employers need to act now and work with trade unions to develop a comprehensive plan of action, before it's too late.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 350,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion