Flexibilisation of labour systems in Europe was “political prudence”

A minister of Labour said today that Portugal “behind” its European partners” in the regulation of the AI and argued that flexibilisation of labour regimes in Germany and France was not “an ideological whim, but of political prudence”.

“ When it comes to regulating the impacts of AI [artificial intelligence] on the labor market and on labor relations, we must recognize that Portugal is already behind its European partners”, said Rosário Palma Ramalho, in his speech at the opening of the 15th Congress of the General Workers Union (UGT), which takes place in Figueira da Foz.

The Minister for Labour, Solidarity and Social Security pointed out that even before the emergence of the AI “the traditional orientation of labour regimes in most countries of Europe began to suffer a profound inflection”, with the emergence of new categories of workers, globalization and the transition from the industrial sector to the services sector.

According to the governor, these circumstances “leaded Europe’s economic engines, such as Germany and France, to initiate a movement to change its labour regimes that became known as ‘flexibilisation’”.

“ It was, it is our conviction, not an ideological whim, but political prudence in action ", defended.

The 15th Congress of the UGT takes place after the last year was marked by a long period of negotiations between government and social partners on the revision of labor legislation, whose process led to two general strikes (one of which with the participation of the UGT) and ended without agreement in the Permanent Commission for Social Concertation (CPCS) and the bill to be rejected in parliament in June.

In the draft law on this matter, the Government opened the door for workers to appeal to AI-based decisions.

Still on the AI, the Labor Minister recalled that “the so-called Economy 4.0. is already fully implemented worldwide”, highlighting some international studies that pointed out that, by 2024, 40% of world employment was already exposed to AI and 44% of the current skills of workers require adaptation by 2027.

Palma Ramalho lamented that Portugal is leaving behind, “because it has not yet completed this path of adequacy of its labour market, and the labour relations regime to the context Economy 4.0” and argues that this “delay helps explain that the country has a structural productivity deficit 27% below the EU average” and that the average wage remains below the Community average.

He pointed out the “challenge of the reconfiguration of professions”, the “demand for more agile and diversified work regimes”, more flexible working time schemes and the end of the obligation of fixed and face-to-face workplaces, the reconciliation of work with personal and family life and the commitment of companies in the AI to recruit as some of the main challenges facing the labour market.

“ We have a duty to act, so as not to leave the country unprepared to face these challenges ", sustained.

At the beginning of her speech, the Minister of Labour praised the “historical weight” of the UGT, which celebrated its 48th anniversary this month, signaling that the trade union centre always had a “democratic spirit of commitment”, namely “in the difficult years of the Troika, when the UGT preferred the demanding path of negotiation to the street confrontation – for which they chose other union structures”, she pointed out.

And he pointed out that the government remains available “to continue to make commitments with all partners, in matters” ahead.