UASA Media Release: 30 July 2025
In Picture: Delegates at the (ILO’s) Regional Workshop on Technological Change, Digital Transformation and AI: The Role of Trade Unions at The Capital Melrose in Johannesburg.
Statement by Abigail Moyo, spokesperson of the trade union UASA:
As technological advancements, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), continue to rapidly take over innovation in the world of work, inclusive dialogue by world-leading organisations continues to take centre stage as the world seeks solutions to the challenges posed by these threats.
To address these challenges, UASA, as part of organised labour and its affiliation to the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), joins global and regional efforts to protect workers’ rights and contribute to worker-centred strategies that can protect the future of work.
UASA’s deep understanding of the technological disruption in the world of work and the importance of creating practical solutions in a timely and effective manner is demonstrated by the union’s continued efforts to address these challenges through the release of the UASA South African Employment Report (SAER) and the 3rd UASA/BMR Employment Index, and now by attending the International Labour Organisation (ILO’s) Regional Workshop on Technological Change, Digital Transformation and AI: The Role of Trade Unions.
Giving a keynote address at the workshop’s opening, Prof. Letlhokwa Mpedi, Principal and Vice Chancellor at the University of Johannesburg, reminded trade unionists that labour organisations have previously fought, negotiated, and won several workers’ rights, so why must they not fight the same way with 4IR and AI to ensure that employers acknowledge workers’ rights in the face of this evolution?
“Technological advancements are not only negative. Jobs will be lost, but some will be created by the same threats. However, if we do not reskill and upskill, some jobs will be lost forever.”
Emphasising the importance of industrialisation and investments for skills development, General Secretary for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Solly Phetoe called for practical employer-employee relations in which both parties engage one another on practical solutions before more jobs are lost.
In many developing and disadvantaged countries, while companies and sectors try to catch up with digitisation and technological advancements, the unemployment rate is alarmingly high because it is not allowing the world of work the opportunity to adapt; instead, more and more disruption is caused.
The three-day workshop will discuss AI disruption, trade union dilemmas, and the role of trade unions in advancing equality and shaping a just AI future in Africa, among other topics.
UASA believes that unions are crucial agents with the power to engage and negotiate fair and unbiased transitions with employers, government, and stakeholders to ensure that no job losses transpire if sustainable ways are found to prevent that outcome.
We look forward to practical outcomes and recommendations that labour can adapt and practice to help workers across various sectors save existing jobs while creating opportunities for growth, promotion and industrialisation for the future of the world of work.
For further enquiries or to set up a personal interview, contact Abigail Moyo at 065 170 0162.