The Trades Union Congress(TUC) has urged the government to use high productivity from the greater use of robots and artificial intelligence to reverse(推翻) planned changes to the state retirement age.
Before its annual congress in Brighton, the TUC said higher productivity thanks to technological innovation(革新) ought to bring greater benefits for working people. It said recent progress had mainly benefited business owners, rather than being shared across the workforce through better wages and working conditions. Frances O'Grady, the TUC general secretary, said: "Robots and Al could let us produce more for less, promoting national prosperity. But we need a debate about who benefits from this wealth, and how workers get a fair share. "
There have been previous waves of technological advances since the first Industrial Revolution, when inefficient jobs have been replaced by machines or the number of people required to do work has been reduced. Such advances have not led to a total loss of jobs, but have disturbed the type of work people do.
There are concerns that the current stage of innovation could be more damaging, while the rewards from higher productivity have not necessarily led to higher wages. The latest available figures show low unemployment unseen since the mid-1970s, but growth in real wages remains negative.
In 1950, almost one in three workers worked in manufacturing, while one in twelve worked in professional and technical services. By 2016 the proportions(比例) had changed completely, but in the communities which were affected, the jobs lost in manufacturing were not replaced by jobs of similar or better quality. Wages in former industrial areas were still 10% below the national average.
The increase in the state retirement age by seven years, which was controversially(有争议的) brought forward by the Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke, is expected to affect about 7 million people in their late 30s and early 40s. As well as opposing the proposal on the retirement age, the TUC said workers should be given the right to a midlife career review, while firms should invest more in workplace training. At present, the UK invests just half of the EU average, it said. O'Grady said: "Robots are not just terminators (终结者). Some of today's jobs will not survive, but new jobs will be created. We must make sure that tomorrow's jobs are no worse than today's. "
