Mar 23, 2026 MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, Martlé Keyer, Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, Artificial intelligence (AI)
MISA comment - Artificial intelligence must not destroy local jobs
MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, agrees with Deputy President Paul Mashatile in his view that workers must be reskilled and supported to ensure that Artificial intelligence (AI) does not destroy jobs. Martlé Keyer, MISA’s Chief Executive Officer: Operations, says MISA already offers its more than 75 000 members a variety of study benefits included in their monthly contributions to encourage members to upskill themselves so that they are equipped for the evolving world of work.
Mashatile addressed the annual National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) Organised Labour School at Kieviets Kroon, north of Pretoria, where MISA is representing its affiliated federation FEDUSA. The Deputy President challenged South Africa’s four Organised Labour Federations to develop a Digital Workers’ Charter, grounded in the right to retraining, data sovereignty, digital dignity and human oversight in all automated systems.
“We must also confront the rise of Artificial Intelligence. AI is already transforming sectors from freight logistics at Transnet to predictive maintenance at Eskom. While these innovations improve efficiency, they also reshape jobs and demand new skills. Our responsibility is clear: no worker must be managed or dismissed by an algorithm alone, workers must share in productivity gains, displaced workers must be retrained and supported. Technology must empower workers, not replace them and their dignity,” says Mashatile.
According to Mashatile AI is not only posing challenges to workers, but to every aspect of our lives. He referred to learners who no longer do their homework but rather use AI to do it. “At this rate in the coming years we will have lazy young people who don’t critically think about questions but rather use ChatGPT to provide them with answers.”
Mashatile is concerned about the shrinking formal employment in South Africa. Trade Unions must protect workers from all forms of exploitation and ensure that employers comply with legislation, especially health and safety.
“Trade unions must evolve beyond wage negotiations. Unions must shape macro-economic policy, support labour-intensive investment and drive skills development and job creation. This perspective also brings us to the discussion around the future of work. Workers with access to skills and training should be able to secure better wages, stability and dignity. The Human Resource Development Council remains central in aligning education with labour market needs. As Chair of the Human Resource Development Council of South Africa (HRDC), I reaffirm our commitment to this agenda,” says Mashatile.
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