LAWAN 2025 :LABOUR LEADERS SOUND ALARM: AI EXPOITATION THREATENS WORKERS’ RIGHTS”
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) Mr Smart Adeyemi and the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Com Joe Ajaero have warned against the exploitation of workers through Artificial Intelligence (AI). They emphasized the need for ethical use of technology and an end to corruption in governance .
Key Concerns.
– Exploitation of workers: Labour leaders are concerned that AI could be used to exploit workers, undermine their rights, and compromise their dignity.
– Job security: The leaders emphasized the need for workers to adapt to technological changes while ensuring job security and economic justice.
– Human dignity: The leaders stressed that AI should be used to enhance productivity and efficiency, not to compromise human dignity.
Call to Action.
The labour leaders called on Nigerian workers and policymakers to ensure that the advancement of AI serves humanity’s interests, rather than profit-driven exploitation. They urged for :
– *Ethical use of technology*: AI should be used in a way that respects workers’ rights and promotes economic justice.
– *End to corruption*: The leaders called for an end to corruption in governance, which could exacerbate the negative impacts of AI on workers.
“I do not share the belief that AI has come to displace workers or destroy jobs. On the contrary, I believe AI is here to enhance productivity, save time, and empower workers who are willing to embrace it,” Adeyemi said.
However, he warned against complacency among workers, stressing that responsibility for productivity ultimately rests with humans, not machines. “AI cannot think for us, nor can it take responsibility for our work,” he noted, adding that workers must remain vigilant about the quality and accuracy of AI-generated outputs.
Adeyemi also used the occasion to criticize what he termed the “policy of corruption” in governance, lamenting that corruption has become institutionalized in Nigeria, eroding the welfare and dignity of workers.
He decried the “dangerous compression of wages” and worsening living conditions for workers, calling on journalists and labour writers to expose anti-worker practices and uphold truth in their reportage despite pressures from political and corporate interests.
“The future of work is not to be feared, but to be shaped. Artificial Intelligence, if embraced wisely, can be a tool for liberation rather than oppression,” he said.
In his goodwill message, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, described the theme of the workshop as “a sounding of the bugle,” warning that AI, under capitalist control, poses a threat to workers’ rights and collective power.
“The future of work in the era of Artificial Intelligence is a pivotal battlefield in the ongoing struggle between workers and those who want to exploit them,” Ajaero said.
He cautioned that AI, though presented as technological progress, could deepen inequality by enabling job casualisation, de-skilling, and digital surveillance, while eroding workers’ bargaining power.
According to Ajaero, “AI in the hands of big capital is primarily a tool for intensifying exploitation, reshaping labour relations towards greater precarity, and eroding the very foundation of workplace rights.”
The labour leader called on unions and workers to take proactive steps to shape the future of work in a way that ensures technology serves humanity, promotes decent work, and protects workers’ rights.
The LAWAN 2025 Workshop brought together labour leaders, journalists, and stakeholders to discuss the implications of Artificial Intelligence on the workforce and strategies for ensuring equitable and ethical integration of technology in Nigeria’s labour ecosystem
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