ver.di holds AI in retail conference to put workers at the centre of AI transformation 

As digitalization and artificial intelligence transforms the retail sector, UNI affiliate ver.di organized a conference for works councils from across Germany on 11–12 March in Berlin. The event brought together worker representatives from major retailers, including Metro, IKEA, Kaufland, Zara, Amazon and H&M. 

At the gathering, “Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Retail,” participants tackled the key question facing retail workers: how can they shape this technological evolution? 

“In retail, technological innovations have mostly been introduced without involving works councils, let alone the employees. That cannot continue. Workers must be actively involved in implementing digital transformation processes,” said Silke Zimmer, ver.di National Executive Board member responsible for retail. 

Zimmer emphasized the need to protect worker privacy as employers roll out digital tools. Constant monitoring and analysing workers’ every action can ratchet up control. This data can report all employee interactions, potentially for union busting, and it could even feed managers predictions about employees’ future behaviours.  

“Workers must not be left defenceless in the face of these developments. That is why we need co-determination by works councils during digitalization. To ensure employees are not merely confronted with the consequences of digital technologies, they must actively participate in shaping these processes. The digitalization collective agreement negotiated with H&M in 2022 seeks to address this issue,” Zimmer emphasized. 

Through workshops and conversations with prominent experts from business, science and politics, participants tackled topics about the use of new technologies, including: safeguarding data protection, securing co-determination and training opportunities, and mobilizing workers to assert their rights during digital transitions. 

“From supply chains to logistics, customer support to in-store experiences, AI is changing all aspects of commerce. We applaud ver.di for organizing this important gathering of workers from employers throughout the sector, and we look forward to taking the lessons learned here with unions around the world,” said Mathias Bolton, Head of UNI Global Union’s Commerce sector. 

At the AI Action Summit in Paris earlier this year, UNI General Secretary Christy Hoffman also emphasized the need for worker-centred AI. 

“People fear losing not only their livelihoods but also their way of life. But we know it does not have to be this way. A voice on the job goes a long way towards addressing fear and minimizing risks. Unions have successfully negotiated new technology at work for a very long time,” she said.