Trans Form Work II

Social partners together towards a better and effective regulation of Artificial Intelligence for a just transition to the work of the future

The project TransFormWork 2, promoted by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), is focused on finding joint solutions by the national social partners for managing the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and algorithmic management and its possible massive impact on the workplace of the future.

The project general objective is to find joint solutions by the national social partners from 7 EU Member States: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Poland and Romania, for managing the effects of AI and algorithmic management and its massive impact on the work of the future, to address the important issues related to the employment relationships and to find appropriate mechanisms, practices and initiatives for a timely anticipation of the skills needs of tomorrow, and a forward-looking up and reskilling of the existing workforce – a fundamental to the success of an AI that works for all. The project aims also to raise awareness of how with the implementation of right strategies and by guaranteeing the human-in-control principle, AI could bring clear benefits and added value for employers and workers by providing new labour market opportunities, new ways of organising work and improvement in working conditions.

Vanya Andreeva, Ambassador of Republic of Bulgaria in Ireland

Vanya Andreeva, Ambassador of Republic of Bulgaria in Ireland

Ina Atanasova, Project manager, CITUB

The project runs over a period of two years and includes a number of actions. The key objectives are as follows:

  • To study the national context, existing legislative measures and social partners’ strategies and initiatives related to the impact of AI on industrial relations Thus the analysis will address issues like human-in control principle, algorithmic management and decision-making, protection of human dignity from the impact of algorithmic systems at work and from psychosocial risks, social partners training systems for employee retention (and AI usage in particular), how the data from algorithmic management impact the collective bargaining and the conclusion of collective labour agreements;
  • To address the challenges faced by social dialogue deriving from the two pillars of the Framework Agreement on Digitalisation a) Artificial Intelligence and Guaranteeing the Human in Control Principle and b) Respect of Human Dignity and Surveillance, and the new opportunities presented by digitalisation;
  • To make a comparative analysis of the trends in the partner countries and to elaborate guidelines for monitoring and managing the AI at company level, based on the research and study in the 7 partner countries and the European and national events conducted as part of the project;
  • To support the European social partners in their endeavours for the adoption of an EU Directive on Algorithmic Systems at Work and to raise awareness and enhance the capacity of the national social partners to introduce, in their respective countries, new regulations on the use of AI and respecting the human in control principle when using algorithmic management;
  • To improve the understanding of employers, workers and their representatives of the opportunities in, and challenges to, the world of work resulting from AI and to ensure a just transition to the workplace of the future;
  • Within the context of the new employment relations imposed by the new technologies and especially AI, to organise discussions and exchange experience and good practice examples and the role of the social partners and social dialogue in this process in the context of its new dimensions at national and transnational levels;

 

The main target groups are representative trade union and employer organisations at the EU and at Member States’ levels and National and EU policymakers. The project will include various research activities, study visits, round tables and workshops, including a final conference. Dissemination of the results will be through publications of National Reports and a final Consolidated Report.

Project Partner Organisations

MAIN PARTNERS

Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB)

General Workers Union (GWU), Malta

Cyprus Workers’ Confederation (SEK)

General Workers’ Confederation (CGIL), Italy

Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), Ireland

Cyprus Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB)

The Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise Association (TMCCEA)

Confederation of Employers CONCORDIA (CPC), Romania

Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), Poland

 

ASSOCIATED PARTNERS

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)

Malta Business Foundation (MBB)

Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC)

Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA)

Confederation of Employers and Industrialists of Bulgaria (KRIB)

 

AFFILIATED ENTITY

Fondazione Giuseppe Di Vittorio (FDV)

 

 

 

First European Roundtable

15 October 2024

Fórsa offices, Nerney’s Court

Dublin D01 R2C5

The first public event was a project Round Table event held in Dublin on October 15 th, 2024.  Organised by SIPTU, the Round Table was held at FÓRSA’s offices in Dublin. The event included opening addresses by the Bulgarian Ambassador to Ireland, her Excellency Vanya Andreeva, and the Executive Director of the European Foundation Ivailo Kalfin. The programme featured a number of high-calibre presentations by Irish and International Experts in AI, including contributions from the European Trade Union Confederation and Business Europe. The Round Table programme and linked presentations can be downloaded below.

  • OPENING ADDRESS
    • John King, Deputy General Secretary, SIPTU
    • Vanya Andreeva, Ambassador of Republic of Bulgaria in Ireland
    • Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound 
  • THE TRANSFORMWORK 2 PROJECT – AIMS AND OUTCOMES
  • The AI Act Regulation – Views of the EU Social Partners:
    • Isabelle Schömann, Deputy General Secretary, ETUC 
    • Isaline Ossieur, Adviser, Social Affairs, BusinessEurope (Presentation Link)
    • Eamonn Cahill, Principal Officer, AI and Digital Regulation Unit Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Presentation Link)
  • ETHICAL DIGITALISATION AT WORK
    • Catherine Keogh, National Secretary, Fórsa 
    • Aidan Connolly, CEO, Idiro Analytics
    • Sara Riso, Research Manager, EUROFOUND (Presentation Link)
  • INTEGRATING AI INTO EUROPEAN WORKPLACES
    • Bernard Harbor, Member of the National AI Advisory Council, IE 
    • Alexiei Dingli, Professor of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Head of the Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Malta (Presentation Link)
    • Cinzia Maiolini, National Secretary, Filctem Cgil (Presentation Link)
  • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND EMPLOYMENT – THE IRISH EXPERIENCE
    • Lisa Wilson, Senior Economist, Nevin Economic Research Institute (Presentation Link)
    • Mary Connaughton, Director, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Irelan (Presentation Link)
  • Review of AI at the National Levels (PANEL DISCUSSION)

      

Mary Connaughton, Director, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Ireland

From left to right; John King, Deputy General Secretary, SIPTU. Vanya Andreeva, Ambassador of Republic of Bulgaria in Ireland. Ina Atanasova, Project manager, CITUB. Eamonn Cahill, Principal Officer, AI and Digital Regulation Unit Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Brian McGann, Project Coordinator, SIPTU, IE. Catherine Keogh, National Secretary, Fórsa