1.

What is the future of work

2. In that future that you imagine, what is the role of trade unions in this?

Imagine 50 years in the future

Future of work
-automation: what will automation change?
-higher productivity
-less repetition of manual labor
-increased efficiency
- convenience

-anytime, anywhere,

In today’s world, work is already mobile and multi local thanks to the internet of things,
tomorrow it may even be virtual.
 What is the Future of Work?

Mankind have been accepting and adapting to evolution since 2.5 million years ago when
they first invented the scrapers to butcher dead animals. Since then, the world has hosted, and
mankind has witnessed rapid growth of revolution and today resulting in the 4th industrial
revolution where technology will change the way we live, work and relate to each other. Parallel
to the convenience the fourth industrial revolution has created for mankind, are we aware of how
this will impact the future of work? What does the Industry 4.0 mean for the future of work and
how do we respond to it? In 50 years, will we enter the wave of the 5th industrial revolution or
are we already at the cusp of it?

As we know it all, future of work is being shaped by a powerful technology force which
is the adoption of artificial intelligence in workplace. Studies have shown how a high percentage
of global workforce will be impacted by this technology development and automation will
decrease number of full-time staffs. These facts may sound depressing for mankind, but in
reality, it is representing a switch within the workforce. An employee at any time could, with the
right mind set, and skills take up more beneficial responsibilities.

To come and think of it, the future of work isn’t scary, in fact it is misunderstood. Robots
are not exactly taking our jobs, but technology is transforming what we do. Technology is
redefining our job scope, where it will require us humans to use our heads rather than manual
skills of the hands. While robots are efficient in completing physical and predictable tasks, they
still lack enough empathy and the human touch. In 50 years, we can picture a future of work
where employees will be needed for jobs that require social and cognitive skills such as roles in
healthcare, teaching, creative thinking and politics.

In addition to new roles and responsibilities, the future of work also holds great benefit
for employers and employees of today and tomorrow. The technology development and internet
of things is leading the future of work towards remote working and flexibility. The high-speed
internet, enables employees to have more freedom to work how, when and where, resulting in a
better work-life balance and greater flexibility leading to better employee satisfaction and
commitment. Parallel to this, companies will also benefit from this as it increases employee
productivity and loyalty in the long run.

I prefer to understand that the 4th Industrial Revolution will have a greater positive impact
on the future of work instead of the negatives. Technology advancement allows us humans to
focus on more meaningful tasks as well as boosts productivity in every industry. Instead on
worrying about the jobs that are being replaces by automation, we should focus on job creation
and innovate how humans work alongside machine, because this is the future. Quoted by the
World Economic Forum in a report in 2018; “These transformations, if managed wisely, could
lead to a new age of good work, good jobs and improved quality of life for all, but if managed
poorly, pose the risk of widening skills gaps, greater inequality and broader polarization”.

Rasnajeet Kaur Khosa

In the future you imagined, what is the role of trade unions in this?