Identifying Collective Bargaining Practices on AI in the European services sectors phase II

Project Description

This project examines how trade unions in Europe’s service sector are responding to the rapid introduction of artificial intelligence, algorithmic management, and other new technologies, and identifies the concrete needs and challenges they face in protecting workers’ rights in increasingly digitalised workplaces.

As AI reshapes work organisation, monitoring, scheduling, and decision-making, the project addresses the lack of accessible, evidence-based knowledge on how these changes are negotiated through collective bargaining. It systematically collects, annotates, and analyses collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) to identify clauses related to AI, data protection, algorithmic management, digital monitoring, and the introduction of new technologies.

By combining CBA analysis with updated research and interactive visualisation tools, the project translates complex regulatory and technological developments into practical insights that trade unions and workers can use in negotiations.

A core strength of the project lies in its comparative approach, enabling cross-country and cross-sector learning on how collective agreements address technological change.

WageIndicator Foundation plays a central role by managing and expanding a global Collective Bargaining Agreement database containing over 3,000 agreements from 75 countries, conducting detailed annotation, coding, and comparative analysis of agreements, and providing unique datasets and visualisation tools that support workers, trade unions, and policymakers.

As a long-standing research partner of the Central European Labour Studies Institute, WageIndicator contributes deep expertise on trade unions, collective bargaining, and AI at work, ensuring that the project delivers practical, negotiation-ready knowledge to support fair and inclusive digital transitions in the service sector.