Abstract
The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) represents a significant economic shift in the Gauteng banking industry, as it involves the unprecedented adoption of artificial intelligence technologies. This has affected the ways in which banking procedures are carried out and prompted the extensive retrenchment of banking staff. The national lockdown regulations imposed in the province as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic have hastened the adoption of these technologies. This is an exploration of the response of the South African Society of Bank Officials (SASCO) to the challenges arising from the implementation of artificial intelligence in the banking industry. Trade unions’ responses to the recent adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) lacked depth, and literature has neglected the negative implications of artificial intelligence for employees. This study attempts to fill the gap by considering the reactive and proactive strategies employed by the union to address the challenges presented by AI in banking. A qualitative research approach was applied to explore SASBO’s responses to these challenges. In-depth interviews were conducted with six current employees, four retrenched employees, and two SASBO officials. This research explores the experiences of banking employees and unionists in South Africa concerning digitalisation in the banking industry...
M.A. (Industrial Sociology)