Unions often resist the adoption of new workplace technology, but their approach is changing.
From the “Great Resignation” to “Quiet Quitting”, the tight job market has strengthened worker power and created a lively public debate about job quality. Now, workers want a voice when their employers adopt new workplace technologies. Employers who force technology on employees without considering unintended consequences are likely to create an unhappy workforce. Workers will embrace new technologies if they are consulted on how technology could make their jobs easier.
At its worst, workplace technology that enables algorithmic management, automated scheduling, or employee surveillance has made jobs more stressful and dangerous in warehouses, call centres and trucking. Worker advocates have responded by calling such tools an attack on worker privacy, autonomy, and civil liberties. A recent survey showed that half of US tech workers would quit if their employers used monitoring tools. This is bad news given that another survey showed that 60-70% of large employers want to implement monitoring technologies over the next three years.
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar on Thursday night ordered election officials to initiate legal proceedings against people who knowingly submit false claims or objections regarding ch...