The theme of the seminar held on November 27 and 28 was “Capacity building of a modern trade union: Strengthening the educational and digitalization aspects”. A total of 40 representatives of workers’ organisations from 11 countries, and 18 speakers took part. The event, which was held in Kappara/Malta was organised by UHM Voice of the Workers, with the support of EZA and funded by the European Union.
Aims and objectives of the project
This project aims to explore how trade unions should respond to the changing labour market, particularly the impact of artificial intelligence and face their existential threats by diversifying their functions. This can be achieved by moving beyond their traditional role of safeguarding members’ rights and collective bargaining into the wider aspect of the education. The latter incorporates lifelong learning, reskilling/upskilling and forging closer relationships with educational institutions be it academic and vocational or even having their own dedicated facilities.
Such initiatives help to strengthen the relevance of trade unions in general, be it as a stakeholder in tackling labour force shortages in quantity and quality. In this respect, capacity building is crucial.
Furthermore, the advent of digitalization facilitates core operations and communication with the grassroots, which in turn strengthens social dialogue. Hence, the seminar will have the following objectives:
Analyse challenges faced by workers’ organizations in terms of capacity building and organizational structure
Analyse the impact of digitalization on capacity building for a modern trade union
Review successful projects and joint ventures showcasing how trade unions delved into the educational sector as an institution to provide vocational and academic training
Investigate the impact of digitalization on the operations of a trade union to increase efficiency and strengthen contact with the grassroots
Analyse ways how to develop strong leadership at the helm of unions
Debate the existential threats faced by workers’ organization and the way forward to respond to the changing labour market
Debate ways in which workers’ organizations can make best use of social media to strengthen their communication channels and keep in touch with the grassroots.
Results and calls for action:
Trade unions face an existential threat if they keep adopting the traditional approach which is not very appealing to young people, who view unions as anachronistic organisations.
Part of the decline in union membership could be attributed to greater job mobility. Rather than seeking redress through the union, aggrieved employees are increasingly seeking greener pastures elsewhere.
Transformational leadership in trade unions should inspire and motivate, encourage innovation and set the example in terms of ethical behaviour
Good negotiation skills are crucial for successful leadership, and this is achieved by avoiding any type of bias, skewed positions or prejudice.
Technological tools which potentially harm rights or privacy should be avoided
AI and algorithms should be made accountable through established governance frameworks
Workers organizations should play a greater role in terms of upskilling and strengthening the employees’ professional development.
AI can significantly help unions to identify certain traits which might have significant repercussions with respect to its membership base as well influence decisions and policy. AI can also help to automate certain administrative tasks
Unions must embrace AI not as a threat but as a transformative tool to amplify their voice and impact
An EU proposal regulation the use of AI and algorithms at the workplace should be seriously considered.
Collective bargaining must include also provisions regulating the impact of AI and AM at the workplace.
Social media has become a crucial communication tool for unions and failure to harness its power might pose a significant threat to the future of the organization. Hence, it is important to build an online community, encourage active participation and discussions and share updates on union activities.
Unions can improve their reach through storytelling and testimonials as most people related more when presented real life situations, and consequently it would be easier to mobilise members in case of need.
Unions need to have dedicated social media policies, dedicated teams and make regular analysis of their approach to change tack accordingly.
Finally, in order for these ideas and proposals to be implemented there needs to be financial support as unions can only raise funds through membership fees. This stream of revenue is being undermined by free riders. Hence, there needs to be legal provision whereby whoever is benefitting from a collective agreement, needs to contribute for the membership either directly or indirectly.
Given that EU aid for capacity building is not trickling down to all levels, there is the need to establish a central European agency whose remit would be to support unions to face the changing realities of the labour market
Conclusion
The two-day seminar brought together diverse perspectives to address the evolving challenges and opportunities in the labour market. This seminar reaffirmed that trade unions have a pivotal role in shaping the future of work. By embracing innovation, enhancing educational efforts, and leveraging digitalization, unions can remain a cornerstone of worker representation in the modern era. This event serves as a foundation for continued collaboration and progress toward these vital goals.