More than six million workers are worried their jobs could be replaced by machines over the next decade, according to a report urging trade unions and the government to provide more support for those at risk.
The findings come as Yvette Cooper, the Labour chair of the Commons home affairs select committee, launches a commission on workers and technology for the Fabian Society and the Community trade union.
While the rise of the machine economy could risk social disruption and further exacerbate the gap between rich and poor in Britain, the commission drawn from businesses, trade unions and academics will consider ways to support workers through the transition. Some companies are already beginning to shed jobs in favour of automation, including the online retailer Shop Direct, which earlier this year warned 2,000 jobs were at risk as it moves to a new distribution centre.
The Bank of England has previously warned that up to 15m jobs across the UK could be under threat. Meanwhile, the Centre for Cities thinktank estimates workers in Mansfield, Sunderland and Wakefield are the most vulnerable, versus people working in London and the south-east of England.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
