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Digitalisation is not a technological fate, but a political question of power. At the joint conference of the Arbeiterkammer (AK), the ÖGB and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Vienna, leading experts warned of increasing technological dependency on US corporations.

The Problem: Our Digital Dependency

Economic expert Francesca Bria laid out the facts in her keynote:

80 % of digital technologies in Europe are imported.

70 % of cloud data is stored with just three US providers.

Often, European states merely rent computing power from US corporations – a "dependency with a painted-on national flag". Paul Nemitz (co-architect of the GDPR) also emphasised: Good laws alone are not enough if global tech oligarchs see them merely as obstacles.

The Solution: The "EuroStack" 🏗️

To effectively protect workers' rights, Bria calls for an independent European technology blueprint – the EuroStack:

Buy European: Public contracts should be awarded to domestic companies (at least 50 % by 2030).

A European tech fund: Investments of 100 to 300 billion euros to keep innovations in Europe.

Sovereign cloud: A data infrastructure under full European control.

What does this mean for your daily work? 🛠️

Technological independence is the foundation for fair work. Ana Dujić pointed out the danger of "algorithmic management": If machines dictate the pace of work and evaluate performance, there is a risk of loss of control and dehumanisation.

The AK's response: "Workers’ AI" & co-determination. AI systems must never be introduced against, but only with the employees. Social partnership and works councils are the guarantors of productivity that benefits everyone – not just the corporations.

Conclusion: The Human Remains the Subject 💡

Employees must not be reduced to objects of algorithms. The goal must be to directly programme democratic values into the architecture of technology ("lawfulness by design").

Remain the "Master of Destiny": We support you in not just experiencing the transformation, but in shaping it yourself.