After two years of hard work, the EU-funded project Innovating Social Dialogue and Collective Bargaining towards Artificial Intelligence in the MET Industries (iMET) has now come to an end and the final reports have been published, with full contribution of Ceemet.
Launched on 26 June 2024, the project brought together a broad range of stakeholders, including Ceemet, industriAll Europe, employers organisations and trade union federations from several European countries, with a particular focus on participation from Eastern Europe. The initiative examined the impact of AI on key areas such as occupational health and safety, human resources management, data protection, and skills development.
The various activities, carried out between 2024 and 2026, built upon the joint conclusions adopted by Ceemet and industriAll Europe in March 2023, which aimed to provide guidance to social partners in the metal, engineering and technology (MET) industries on their approach to artificial intelligence in the workplace.
The project was designed to support social partners in the safe and effective integration of AI into the workplace. The final materials also address issues such as human oversight of AI systems, transparency in automated decision-making, the protection of workers’ rights, and training needs linked to digitalisation.
During the project, the discussion highlighted several key considerations from the employers’ perspective regarding the deployment of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Employers underscored the relevance of AI to social dialogue, while emphasising that the concrete design and the deployment of AI systems should primarily be addressed at company level.
They also stressed the unfeasibility to implement workers’ participation at all stages of AI deployment without creating administrative burdens, excessive costs and a decrease in competitiveness, especially for SMEs.
In addition, employers noted that many risks mentioned in this project are already covered by European directives. This is the case for the Information and Consultation Directive, the GDPR, and the AI Act, as well as other directives that you can find mentioned in the Ceemet position paper, in the EEI research, or in documents from the AI Office of the EU Commission.
They also emphasised the important to keep human-centred approach in the field of human resources. Finally, employers are making considerable efforts to invest in upskilling and reskilling their workforce in line with their resources and means.
While this may not always fall within the scope of their responsibility or remit, it is commendable that they are allocating resources to this endeavour. What is key is to ensure that the training provided aligns with the needs of the company / labour market.
Please find below the last report which summarises the projects’ outcome as well as the link to the project materials.
EU Disclamer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only, and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.