The meeting of industriAll Europe’s Digital Technology and Robotisation Sectoral Network in Esslingen, Germany, on 26 and 27 October 2026 brought union representatives together to discuss how automation and AI are changing work, with input from experts and a visit to robot maker FANUC.
As more tasks move to machines, workers risk losing control over how they do their jobs. At the meeting, two researchers set out the challenge.
Dr Patricia Helen Rosen of the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) presented a laboratory study on how tasks are designed when workers and robots share assembly work. It showed what is at stake for workers’ autonomy, their say over how tasks are done, and the quality of work. Professor Dr Doris Aschenbrenner of Aalen University showed how operators can stay in command of AI-driven industrial systems, so that new technology does not mean losing meaningful human oversight.
National reports from affiliates confirmed the challenges the researchers raised and pointed to the same answers: workers’ participation, occupational safety and health, human oversight and training. Unions see scope to cooperate and share good practice, especially in collective bargaining on the use of AI in companies.
Members also looked at EU policies shaping this change, including the Tech Sovereignty Package, the Digital Omnibus and its impact on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the link between AI and machinery rules. Chips were also in the spotlight: a study by consultancy Syndex on the semiconductor sector and industriAll Europe’s position on the Chips Act 2.0 looked at what the sector’s future means for Europe’s industrial capacity and jobs.
The visit to FANUC’s site in Neuhausen auf den Fildern gave members a welcome opportunity to learn the realities on the ground. FANUC is one of the world’s leading automation and robotics companies, with around 1,900 workers in 22 European subsidiaries, mainly in service, maintenance, and research and development. The company described a sector driven by AI, productivity, resilient supply chains and Europe’s push for technological independence, and under growing pressure from Chinese robot makers, particularly in automotive tenders. It sees automation as one answer to labour shortages. FANUC expects AI to play a growing role in industrial robots, but is cautious about humanoid robots, whose complexity and cost today’s industrial uses do not yet justify. It also outlined its approach to human rights due diligence and its policies on sensitive sectors and end uses.
Commenting on the two days, industriAll Europe Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Barthès said:
“Automation is not an end in itself. We have to look at where it really makes sense. Whether it is robots, AI or chips, workers must have a say in the decisions that affect their jobs. That means involving them early and assessing the impact on jobs and tasks before new technology arrives. Get it right, and workers keep control over their work. Get it wrong, and we risk a backlash against automation and AI. Technology must serve workers, not come at their expense.”