Labriola explains what changes in telephony with AI (even in contracts)
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The intervention
TLC has always been a highly labor-intensive sector, requiring skills, flexibility and resilience. And to govern innovation (without passively undergoing it) it is necessary focus on continuous training, emerging skills and flexibility
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To the Director - Italian telecommunications are at a crossroads: innovate or continue to lose ground . The systemic damage that affects the entire sector has been paid by everyone: companies, workers and end customers. In the last period, however, in Italy as in the rest of Europe, something is starting to change and now this movement needs to be accompanied, by everyone, consciously, to direct us in the right direction. Companies, in recent years, have done their part, continuing to invest and ensuring employment stability at the expense of margins and cash generation. Now, as Asstel we are working to verify the conditions to restart the discussion with the unions in the coming days for the renewal of the national collective agreement of the sector.
This is an important step, which comes at a time of profound change for the entire supply chain, and, as an Association representing all the industrial and operational components of telecommunications in Italy, we intend to contribute to this phase with a constructive spirit and systemic vision. TLC has always been a sector with a high intensity of human labor, which requires skills, flexibility and resilience . Even in an era marked by automation and artificial intelligence, we cannot forget that the quality of service – in the field of the network, maintenance, customer relations – is still largely guaranteed by human labor. Today, however, the scenario is changing. And it is changing rapidly. Last weekend, for example, the Sunday Times reported Sky UK's decision to close three call centers, with an impact of up to 35 million pounds. Only a year ago, BT announced the cut of 55,000 jobs by 2030, as part of a profound technological transformation. Italy, like France, Germany and Spain, also defends employment stability and the social value of work. But it is clear that defending cannot mean immobilizing. A new balance is needed .
The main international and national sources are clear in highlighting the risks: McKinsey in 2023 indicated up to 70 million jobs in the US alone with the automation of routine roles. Goldman Sachs in the same year spoke of 300 million jobs in the world potentially impacted, especially white-collar workers. Added to these are the World Economic Forum (2023) which indicated a negative net balance of 14 million jobs by 2027 (83 million eliminated, 69 created) and the Bank of Italy (2023): 10-15 percent of jobs in Italy at high exposure, in particular among repetitive and administrative tasks. If we look at the sectors of the TLC supply chain mapped by Asstel, it emerges that customer care is the area most at risk in standard response activities, complaints and ticket management, which will give way to advanced chatbots with human supervision . In network operations, the activities most at risk are those for remote diagnostics and automatic provisioning. In this area, opportunities will come from predictive maintenance with the adoption of AI. In commercial activities, risks will be seen in Teleselling and massive campaigns. Here too, opportunities will come from the adoption of predictive CRM systems. Finally, in Back office activities, the areas most impacted will be those for processing incoming data and document processing, in exchange for benefits in data analysis and digital governance. We must govern innovation, not passively suffer it . This is the objective that must guide the new collective agreement: transform it into a lever for innovation and growth, rather than a defensive constraint. We must focus on continuous training, enhance emerging skills, introduce flexibility consistent with new organizational processes and create career paths oriented towards innovation.
Only in this way can we truly defend the centrality of people, giving them the opportunity to grow, contribute and receive value. Only in this way will the company return to being a place of mutual development, where the talent of people generates value for everyone.
The renewal of the National Collective Agreement therefore represents an opportunity if it becomes a tool capable of supporting companies in the supply chain in the profound industrial and work transformations underway. The dialogue with the trade unions will begin tomorrow and as far as we are concerned it will mark the start of a strategic path on the future of the sector.
Peter Labriola
President Asstel CEO of Tim
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