{"id":9818,"date":"2016-09-13T17:40:18","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T16:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=9818"},"modified":"2016-09-13T17:40:18","modified_gmt":"2016-09-13T16:40:18","slug":"automation-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=9818","title":{"rendered":"Automation nation?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<p>Unite delegate and taxi driver, Mike Hedges, supported \u00c2\u00a0a motion on the impact of automation on employment, calling for research and policy.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Focusing on the transport sector he spoke on the detrimental effects on shipping and the significant impact of driverless vehicles in passenger transport.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But, he added, automation is an issue in all of the sectors Unite organises in \u00e2\u20ac\u201c including manufacturing, food, health and finance.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hedges reported that analysis by the Bank of England suggests that up to 15m jobs in the UK could be at risk.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut one thing is for sure,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bHow technology is introduced and the effects of automation will depend on the strength of bargaining power.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere is nothing inevitable about automation and we should not be passive about its introduction.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need to shape how it is introduced and ensure it is for the benefit of all and not the few. It cannot be the route to further inequality,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he continued.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>What was needed was policy and a strategy to help support us do it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAutomation and the \u00e2\u20ac\u0098rise of the robots\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 is associated with terms like the \u00e2\u20ac\u0098digital economy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and the \u00e2\u20ac\u0098gig economy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis may sound exciting and cutting edge. But all too often it is associated with insecurity, poor conditions and a lack of employment rights.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need technology to improve our lives rather than for us to be slaves to it. We should determine and shape how it serves us rather than be its servant,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 concluded Hedges.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The motion was carried.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unite delegate and taxi driver, Mike Hedges, supported \u00c2\u00a0a motion on the impact of automation on employment, calling for research and policy. &nbsp; Focusing on the transport sector he spoke on the detrimental effects on shipping and the significant impact of driverless vehicles in passenger transport. &nbsp; But, he added, automation is an issue in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9826,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[455,585],"wps_subtitle":"Strong unions are key to protecting jobs ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9818"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9818"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9821,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9818\/revisions\/9821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}