Australia: Woolworths' productivity framework involving surveillance tech a major factor in stalled bargaining negotiations
"The dispute causing empty shelves at Woolies is a test case for companies using AI and automation on workers", 4 December 2024
Behind the empty shelves in Woolworths supermarkets across Victoria and New South Wales is a fraught battle between workers and employers that could affect the future of workplaces everywhere.
The dispute has been triggered by stalled enterprise bargaining negotiations between Woolworths and the United Workers Union.
A major factor involves Woolworths introducing a “coaching and productivity framework” to speed up work at distribution centres. This involves surveillance technology and monitoring to direct each worker’s movement and output.
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When the framework was first introduced in 2023, some workers were warned to “stop all time wasting and non-productive behaviors”. There were reports work intensification would lead to workplace injuries.
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For critics, the deployment of such technologies represents a form of “Digital Taylorism” in which every aspect of workers’ movements are recorded and analysed.
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