Antonio Tejeda Encinas, International Observer, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law – UNCITRAL, Working Group I (Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), Antonio Tejeda Encinas, Lawyer, Euro-American Committee of Digital Law - CEA Digital Law
This UN-ILO report sets out to examine the importance of social dialogue in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The integration of this technology into the world of work poses unprecedented challenges, which can only be met through a collaborative approach among the social partners. Below are the key points of the report, entitled Mind the AI Divide: Shaping a Global Perspective on the Future of Work, published on 26 July 2024.
Co-authored by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, the report addresses the profound disparities in AI adoption around the world and how these technological inequalities are affecting economies, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Social dialogue and AI: global challenges
In this context, social dialogue is not an isolated issue. It is intrinsically linked to all of these questions, particularly the continuous training of workers and cooperation between the public and private sectors. The report argues that social dialogue may be the most effective tool for ensuring that AI not only improves business competitiveness but also respects and strengthens workers’ rights.
A few brief reflections, which strike me as both global and local:
The international and national dimensions of social dialogue
AI is a global phenomenon, but the way it is implemented, and the frameworks for social dialogue, vary significantly from one country to another. While tripartite negotiating tables bringing together employers, trade unions and government are well established in Spain, in other countries a lack of infrastructure and union organisation weakens the process. In this context, organisations such as the ILO play an essential role in promoting global standards and sharing best practice.
Regionalism and globalisation in the post-COVID era
COVID-19 accelerated the shift towards a more regionalist form of globalisation. Employers’ organisations and trade unions are now focusing on strengthening local supply chains and avoiding excessive dependence on external markets. In the Canary Islands, for example, trade unions have taken a more territorial stance, defending workers’ rights in key sectors such as tourism and public services. At the same time, Spanish business associations have sought to preserve internal flexibility through mechanisms such as ERTEs (Spain’s temporary furlough schemes).
Other circumstances that have affected social dialogue
Besides COVID-19, other events such as the 2008 financial crisis have had a significant influence on social dialogue, underlining the need to strike a balance between flexibility and job security. The austerity policies that followed eroded trust in these mechanisms, especially in Spain, where the 2012 labour reform remains divisive despite the reforms that came after it (Real Decreto-Ley 32/2021, Real Decreto-Ley 8/2023 and Real Decreto-Ley 2/2024, all Spanish royal decree-laws).
The Canary Islands: a tailored model of social dialogue
With an island economy based on vulnerable sectors such as tourism, agriculture, trade and logistics, the Canary Islands require social dialogue to be specifically adapted to the technological disruption brought about by AI. Transforming these sectors calls for a coordinated approach between government (
Presidencia del Gobierno de Canarias, Cabildo de Tenerife), employers (Ceoe-Tenerife) and trade unions (UGT Tenerife, CCOO Tenerife) to protect jobs and regional competitiveness.
We propose creating ‘CanariasTech Hub’, a regional platform to assess the impact of AI on key sectors such as tourism, agriculture, trade and logistics. The platform will also promote policies tailored to the region’s specific needs, ensuring that technology is deployed in a way that protects both jobs and competitiveness.
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