AI can threaten jobs, increase wage inequality: Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh tells govt

The BMS has been pushing the Union government to ensure labour laws are drafted to ensure the protection of workers

Urging the Union government to offer training and skilling for workers to prevent job cuts, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has cautioned that that the use of Artificial Intelligence or AI could widen the “existing inequalities” and push a large segment of supply chain workers into “economic instability”.

BMS has opposed the proposed amendments in industrial relations and occupational safe. (Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh | Official X account)

In the wake of AI being used across sectors, the BMS, which is a collective of labour unions across the country has pointed out that although India’s supply chain sector is undergoing rapid AI-driven transformation, discussions around Human-AI collaboration are being overlooked.

Making a pointed reference to the informal workforce, in logistics, warehousing, and last-mile delivery, Vrijesh Upadhyaya, the national executive committee member of BMS said while AI’s role is being touted to meet talent shortages, there is no discussion on how workers with unverified skills or informal employment can be integrated into this transformation.

“We are deeply concerned that AI-driven workforce strategies are focusing primarily on formally skilled employees, leaving millions of informal workers behind. These workers, despite their practical experience, lack formal recognition, structured training, and access to AI tools, increasing their risk of displacement rather than empowerment. Without an inclusive approach, AI could widen existing inequalities and push a large segment of supply chain workers into economic instability,” Upadhaya who is also the director general of the BMS’s research and analysis wing Dattopant Thengadi Foundation said.

The BMS, which has been against foreign direct investment, privatisation, and disinvestment of public sector units has been pushing the Union government to ensure labour laws are drafted to ensure the protection of workers. While it backed two of the four labour codes that were proposed by the government in 2019-20 on wages and security, it opposed the proposed amendments in industrial relations and occupational safe

With government and the private sector relying more on AI, the BMS wants the government to invest in affordable and accessible certification programmes to help unskilled and semi-skilled workers transition into AI-enabled roles.

“AI training must be customised for the informal workforce, utilizing on-the-job learning, mobile-based microlearning in regional languages, and peer-driven training models. Additionally, policy interventions should incentivize companies to hire and upskill informal workers, ensuring AI enhances worker productivity rather than replacing jobs,” Upadhayay said.

He said the BMS also expects a structured social dialogue between labour representatives, policymakers, and industry leaders to ensure that AI adoption benefits the entire workforce, not just those with formal training.

Upadhyay said the BMS’s concerns stem from the possible impact of AI on employment avenues and wage inequality.

“...higher salaries for the most educated while low-skilled jobs disappear. This will disproportionately affect workers in developing countries like. The informal sector, which forms the backbone of India’s workforce, is most vulnerable. Unlike developed nations with strong social security, India lacks a robust safety net for displaced workers,” he said.