Digitalisation, robotisation and the gig economy are a rapidly evolving challenge for governments and businesses, as well as workers and trade unions. Society will have to adapt to this unstoppable trend, and unions are fighting to defend members’ rights and conditions.
In Denmark, the government and social partners are cooperating in guiding these labour market trends through a newly established ‘Disruption Council’.
The Council consists of the Prime Minister and a wide range of government ministers, social partner representatives, business leaders and experts. The Council’s task is to explore how new technologies like digitalisation, robots and artificial intelligence can make the country richer and improve welfare provisions, while at the same time equipping citizens with new skills as many traditional jobs disappear.
“The community must give a helping hand to those left behind by technological giant leaps,” warned Lizette Risgaard, President of LO-Denmark, “If not our society will disintegrate.”