Across public administrations, education, healthcare, and the judiciary, workers continue to report being excluded from decision-making around AI. Systems are introduced without input, and staff are left untrained or uninformed. This undermines both the trust of workers and the effectiveness of the tools themselves. Union Syndicale Fédérale joins EPSU in demanding meaningful consultation with staff and their representatives, and that collective bargaining must play a central role in how AI is deployed across the EU institutions and public services.

We are not against technology. AI can, when used responsibly, assist workers, reduce excessive workloads, and improve services. But none of this can happen if staff are left behind. When AI replaces or reduces certain tasks, that must never be used as an excuse to eliminate jobs. Instead, it must trigger investment in reskilling, retraining, and job reorientation. The organisation has a responsibility to ensure that no worker is left without a future.

We acknowledge that AI is transforming the world of work. Some roles will inevitably evolve, and certain tasks may become obsolete. However, we firmly reject the idea that people themselves should be considered redundant. While job functions may shift, workers must be retained, retrained, and reoriented within the organisation. That is our core demand — one we share with our EPSU partners across Europe.

Union Syndicale Fédérale also sees this moment as an opportunity to rethink how we work. If AI is truly capable of reducing workloads, then those benefits must be shared with workers. Instead of replacing people, why not reduce working time?  USF supports exploring a four-day work week or reduced working hours as a just and innovative response to increased productivity. It is time to have this conversation — not after jobs are lost, but before decisions are made.

EPSU’s call for public ownership of digital infrastructure and democratically governed cloud services is another crucial point we support. Public sector data must not be handed over to private foreign companies without oversight. We join EPSU in calling for digital sovereignty, public investment, and worker involvement as key pillars of Europe’s AI strategy. Public services must remain public — and that includes their digital backbone.

Above all, AI must not replace people. It should serve staff, improve services, and reflect our shared European values. This transition must be inclusive, fair, and grounded in social dialogue. That is why Union Syndicale Fédérale stands fully behind EPSU’s letter to the Commission, and why we are calling for immediate and ongoing consultation with staff representatives on any AI initiative affecting jobs, working conditions, or service delivery.

This is a collective issue, and it calls for a united front. USF invites all trade unions, staff representatives, and colleagues to come together around these demands and ensure that the AI transition is shaped with, not against,  the people who make public services work.