* : The EU needs a Dedicated Directive on Algorithmic Management and AI at work
Brussels 13 October 2025
- To MEPs
Dear Members of the European Parliament,
May I contact you to express the need to support a dedicated Directive on Algorithmic Management and AI at work as proposed in the rapport of A. Bula.
The ETUC, representing 45 million workers in Europe and at unanimity of its affiliated national trade union confederations and European federations, calls for a dedicated Directive on Algorithmic Management and AI at work, in order to set the level playing field for all economic actors so that the innovation driven by Algorithmic Management and AI at work delivers for all and to address and solve the ‘high risks’ that Algorithmic Management and AI represents at the workplace.
This dedicated directive should provide for ensure human oversight of all AI-driven decision-making processes, reinforcing the human-in-control principle. It is essential that workers representatives and trade unions have a key role to play in shaping the introduction, use and management of algorithmic management at work, in the full respect of the information, consultation, participation rights. Trade union and employers should be empowered via collective bargaining to negotiate the necessary rules for a framework on data collection and usage data privacy and surveillance as well as AI deployment strategies that enhance job quality and productivity while ensuring fairness, worker autonomy.
The dedicated Directive on Algorithmic Management and AI at work should provide for good working conditions, in particular on jobs and wages to prevent job displacement, deskilling, and precarious employment, threatening wages and job autonomy. It is key that it reinforces strong enforcement of anti -discrimination laws to protect workers against AI induced discrimination created by automatic exponential reproduction societal biases and inequalities in hiring, access to training, promotion, and dismissals. It is also important to promote AI literacy via paid AI-related trainings for the upskilling the workforce.
The dedicated Directive on Algorithmic Management and AI at work must provide for strict ethical norms to ensure transparency and business accountability in all stages of the AI value chain. This requires not only collaborative innovation at the workplace level but also securing worker influence at the Research and Development stage and gaining a seat at the table in industrial strategy discussions. The ETUC calls to take the precautionary principle seriously and demands binding rules ensuring that business must be held accountable of adverse impacts when AI is introduced and used in relation to work, including in AI's value chains that rely on labour-intensive data preparation, often outsourced under poor working conditions in the Global South, but also in Europe
We would like to recall that the ETUC strongly condemns the European Commission’s announcement on 12 Feb. 2025 in its work programme 2025 to withdraw the AI Liability Directive, meant to establish accountability for employers when AI causes harm. The lack of clear regulation also risks the potential liability to fall on workers operating AI-systems, rather than companies developing and deciding on their implementation and risk management.
Rest reassured of the ETUC dedication to make sure that the innovation driven by Algorithmic Management and AI at work delivers for all in the full respect of workers rights. In this respect, do not hesitate to contact us, [email protected] should you have questions.
Looking forward to your support
Best Regards,
Isabelle Schömann
Deputy General Secretary