BPO (business process outsourcing) employees, platform workers, telecommunications workers and workers from other digital businesses gathered on January 25 to launch the Coalition of Digital Employees-Artificial Intelligence or CODE-AI, the coalition representing their grievances and rights.

Their main call is to protect their rights against the capitalist threat of using artificial intelligence in their operations. With information gathered by CODE-AI, AI will displace up to 300,000 jobs in the BPO sector in the next five years. Workers are also pressured to increase their work output without an equivalent increase in wages and benefits.

“We call on the government for pro-active and inclusive policy making, especially as workers face the threat of job losses, falling wages and other damages,” according to Lean Porquia, head of the BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN), a member of the coalition.

CODE-AI condemned the unjust dismissal of BIEN spokesperson Renso Bajala after responding to a journalist’s interview regarding the plight of workers in his sector. Bajala was terminated on the basis of the “social media policy” by the companies Concentrix and American Express. The termination violates the freedom of expression of Bajala and his fellow workers.

“Workers should not be gagged,” CODE-AI said. “We have the right to free expression and association, and our participation in discussions and formulating policies on the use of AI technology is crucial to defend (our) workers’ rights,” Bajala said.

CODE-AI demands proper documentation of the damaging effects of using AI in BPO and other industries, thereby holding capitalists, clients, technology companies and the state accountable for these damages.

Apart from BIEN, CODE-AI includes Riders Watch, Gabay sa Unyon sa Telekomunikasyon Supervisors-PLDT (GUTS-PLDT), Digital Justice, Computer Professionals Union, May Day Multimedia, Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research.