AI in the Workplace: French Unions Advocate for Transparency, Fairness, and Inclusion
“Social dialogue is identified as an important vector for the dissemination of AI and it is therefore important that trade union organizations take hold of these issues and make proposals” says Nicolas Blanc, National Secretary for Economic Transition at the Confédération Française de l’Encadrement CFE-CGC.
French unions, including CEC European Managers member organisation in France, CFE-CGC, with support from European counterparts, have united to ensure AI adoption aligns with principles of fairness, inclusivity, and social progress.
At the heart of this movement is the Dial-IA project, a pioneering initiative designed to equip stakeholders with the tools needed to navigate AI’s challenges while fostering effective social dialogue.
The Dial-IA project
The Dial-IA project was launched on January 7, 2025, by the Economic and Social Research Institute (IRES) alongside unions such as CEC European Managers’ CFE-CGC, CFDT, FO-Cadres, and Ugict-CGT, represents a bold step in addressing AI’s workplace impact.
Over 18 months, approximately 50 participants from diverse sectors—including public administrations, private companies, unions, and academic institutions—worked to develop actionable resources.
Among these are a manifesto advocating for ethical AI integration and a comprehensive web-based toolkit, or “webdoc,” designed to enhance stakeholders’ understanding of AI’s challenges and opportunities.
The project is supported by ANACT and coordinated by ULTRA LABORANS,
“It is essential for social partners to anticipate the impacts of AI on jobs and the work environment, creating a social dialogue that reflects these profound changes,” Blanc said.
AI Integration: An Ethical Process
The Dial-IA manifesto advocates for purposeful, human-centric AI systems prioritizing societal well-being and ethical governance.
Acknowledging AI’s potential to reshape industries, the manifesto calls for robust mechanisms to ensure transparency in AI’s decision-making processes, data privacy, and equitable distribution of benefits.
A central theme of the manifesto is empowering workers and unions to actively participate in discussions about AI deployment by fostering “bottom-up governance,” where employees and representatives influence AI policies.
This approach aims to prevent technological determinism by ensuring that organszations adapt AI to meet human needs rather than forcing workers to conform to rigid systems.
Training and Education
CFE-CGC and its partners are intensifying their focus on education. Training modules tailored explicitly to “AI and social dialogue” are being developed, targeting members of company’s Social and Economic Committees (CSEs).
These programs aim to bridge knowledge gaps and prepare leaders, workers, and union representatives to engage effectively with AI-related challenges.
CEC European Managers position paper on AI emphasizes the importance of fostering leadership competencies for managing AI integration.
CEC European Managers advocates for sustainable leadership that embraces innovation and considers the long-term societal and environmental impacts of AI systems.
This collaborative vision for AI integration represents not just a technological shift but a profound step toward building resilient, innovative, and fair workplaces for generations to come.
