In principle, three different elements have to be distinguished with differing impacts on workers:
- Technologies that are replacing jobs by machines/robots (automation)
- Technologies used for rationalisation of existing work
- Technologies used to build platforms for new disruptive business models; those are decisively changing the world of labour
All transport modes are concerned by automation: autonomous driving of trucks, buses, trains and metro, autonomous navigation on rivers and at sea, drones in aviation, autonomous loading and unloading in harbours or automated warehousing. The technology is available, tests are taking place and the question is time, investment, regulation and acceptance.
Digital technologies to rationalise work are several: imitation of tracing and tracking (use of GPS, ITS in Europe)for freight and passenger transport, digital ticketing and passenger information system; drivers’ assistance systems e.g. for eco-driving, sensors used in maintenance (e.g. track inspection, anticipated maintenance planning); traffic control (ERTMS in railways). But also augmented reality like data glasses used in warehousing, which add additional information in the field of vision of the warehouse worker and can be used to scan bar codes.
For trade unions the rationalisation effect of technology and the challenge for trade unions and workers representatives are not new but with the enormously increased digital capacity and capacity of data transfer and combination there are more possibilities for companies (for example workers performance control) and in more areas of implementation.
Digital platforms are different because they are disruptive business models that are changing the world of labour. Platforms in transport match demand for transport services with individual drivers and “disrupt” the traditional employer – employee relationship. It is also important to be aware, that many of those developments are not initiated and tested by the classical transport companies but by technology companies instead, like Google and Amazon.
