Canada’s unions take concerns over AI and labour rights to global stage

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — Speaking today at the International Labour Conference, Canadian Labour Congress Secretary-Treasurer Lily Chang called on governments around the globe to ensure workers have a meaningful role in shaping their economic future, including artificial intelligence, while warning against efforts to weaken collective bargaining and the right to strike.

Addressing delegates from governments, employers, and workers from around the world, Chang said that workers must be partners in the decisions that will shape the future of work.

“Artificial intelligence is already transforming workplaces and industries around the world,” said Chang. “Workers see the potential, but many are also worried about what it means for their jobs, their privacy, and their futures.”

Chang warned that too many governments and employers view technological change as an opportunity to reduce their workforce, intensify work, and increase surveillance. Instead, she argued innovation must be accompanied by strong labour protections and meaningful worker participation.

Chang’s intervention builds on the Canadian Labour Congress’s recent call for a worker-centred approach to artificial intelligence. Canada’s unions have stressed that workers and their unions must be involved in shaping how AI is introduced and governed in workplaces across the country and called for stronger protections against workplace surveillance and discrimination, as well as independent oversight.

Canada’s unions are also calling for updates to the Canada Labour Code to address the growing use of artificial intelligence in federally regulated workplaces. The proposed changes would ensure workers have a voice in decisions about the use of AI, and strengthen protections for workers whose jobs, working conditions, or rights might be affected by new technologies.

“Workers cannot be expected to carry the burden of economic uncertainty by giving up fundamental rights,” said Chang. “The right to organize, bargain collectively, and strike are essential to ensuring workers have a meaningful voice in the economy and in their workplaces.”

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