Renthia Kaimbi
Minister of justice and labour relations, Fillemon Wise Immanuel, has said that artificial intelligence can be harnessed for decent work without job losses, provided governments choose retraining over retrenchment.
Speaking at the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, Immanuel offered an example of how the Social Security Commission had recently introduced digital tools to improve service delivery and accountability.
Although the transition directly affected 65 positions, no worker lost their job.
“Instead, retraining and upskilling were prioritised, demonstrating our commitment to a human-centred transition,” Immanuel said.
Addressing delegates during debates on a report harnessing AI for decent work and the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories, the minister rejected the notion that technology alone determines outcomes.
“Technology does not determine outcomes; but policies and institutions do,” he said, endorsing the central message of the report.
“The future of work must be deliberately governed, not left to chance.”
Without adequate safeguards, he warned, AI risks shifting burdens onto vulnerable workers and deepening existing inequalities.
The Social Security Commission overhaul aligns with Namibia’s National Digitalisation and Skills Agenda and the Global Digital Compact.
The commission invested in retraining programmes that allowed affected workers to adapt to new roles within the digitalised system, turning a potential wave of job losses into a managed transition.
Immanuel acknowledged that many developing economies continue to face structural constraints, limited digital infrastructure and unequal access to technology.
He called for stronger international cooperation, capacity building, technology transfer and financing to ensure that AI becomes a driver of inclusive development rather than a new frontier of exclusion.
He also urged the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to expand technical assistance to help member states modernise labour market institutions and adapt social protection and skills systems to the realities of AI-mediated work.
Immanuel encouraged member states to establish tripartite AI advisory mechanisms and to integrate algorithmic management and data governance into collective bargaining processes.
He further urged the ILO regional office for Africa to work closely with the African Union in operationalising the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy in support of Agenda 2063.
Turning to the second part of the director general’s report, Immanuel addressed what he called a devastating reality in Gaza.
“Decent work cannot flourish under occupation, conflict, or war,” he said, reaffirming Namibia’s support for the full implementation of the two-state solution in accordance with international law.
He also expressed solidarity with the Sahrawi people, whose right to self-determination remains unrealised, as well as with the people of Cuba, stating that unilateral coercive measures undermine development, run counter to international law, and are inconsistent with the ILO’s mandate to advance social justice.
The minister returned to the principle guiding Namibia’s domestic approach.
“We uphold the ILO’s founding principle that ‘labour is not a commodity’ and safeguard the rights and dignity of all workers,” he said.
“In doing so, we can ensure that AI becomes a force for shared prosperity, inclusive labour markets and social justice.”
