GEORGE TOWN – The race towards digitalisation, though the way of the future, will end up costing people their livelihood if both staff and companies are not adequately prepared for the consequences of adopting new technology, warned a unions’ group.
The Penang Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) said efforts to go digital should be eased until most of the workforce is properly trained towards this end.
Its secretary, K. Veeriah, stressed the need to protect all jobs, including blue-collar ones that could be rendered obsolete by technology.
A survey by online services provider Workday, released before the Covid-19 pandemic, showed that 73% of Malaysian workers expect the greater use of technology at the workplace, but 37% said they are not properly equipped to compete in a digital economy.
Going digital has been an especially hot topic since the coronavirus crisis struck, with not just companies, but governments relying heavily on online services and platforms to keep running, given movement restrictions and lockdowns.
It has been reported that Malaysia’s unemployment rate in August stood at 4.7%, with an estimated 741,600 people – many of whom are fresh graduates – unemployed due to a combination of the pandemic, economic slowdown, inability to cope with technology use, and job mismatches.
Acknowledging the need for the country to be innovative and embrace economic transformation, Veeriah said the impact on the working population, however, cannot be ignored.
He cited as an example the banking sector, where many positions have been outsourced.
Over-the-counter functions, too, have gradually been taken over by automation, he said, resulting in thousands of jobs being made redundant, and employees let go under the guise of “voluntary” or “mutual separation” schemes.
“In the 1980s, the traditional textile-weaving loom was replaced with an innovation described as an ‘air jet’ system, which led to job losses in the industry.”
Despite the sector enjoying the perks of innovation, he said, many people ended up out of work, and this scenario is set to repeat itself.
“At MTUC, we wish to emphasise that we have never opposed technological advances, but in the same breath, we do not condone the displacement of jobs.”
He urged the government to lay out a comprehensive training and upskilling programme for workers who will be affected by the shift to digital.
“Unless a comprehensive scheme is implemented, it would be tantamount to putting the cart before the horse.” – The Vibes, October 18, 2020
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