BI has been contracted to research and analyze potential impacts of the Future of Work in the developing and emerging countries for Union to Union. The assignment will run from January to April. It will among other things include social sustainability aspects of the rapid transformations of working life and explore union responses in selected countries on the three continents.

Augmented and diversified patterns of globalisation, technological development, digitalisation of industry and automatization is rapidly altering the playing field for competitiveness and productivity. This is reflected in the way in which companies operate and the way people work, and when and where. Social dialogue has the potential to constitute an increasingly important role to play at the workplace.

Technological change comes with opportunity. It can free up capital, time and workers from hazardous work assignments. But it also can be described as a threat with challenges such as restructuring, job loss, changing business models, increasing competition and the need for new skills and competencies. Workers, particularly in the lower skills spectrum and in developing countries, are at risk of being replaced by machines. The probability is higher especially for workers who perform repetitive, non-cognitive tasks that could be carried out by industrial robots and computers.