The impact of the 4TH Industrial Revolution on labour in South Africa.

Abstract

The 4th industrial revolution is best placed in developed countries because developing countries such as South Africa are still left behind. South Africa as part of globalization has to adapt to the 4 th industrial revolution however, the country does not seem to be ready for this revolution. Some key fixtures of the 4th industrial revolution are however seen in South Africa but the resistance is high in the labor market. For this paper, it was necessary to review qualitative data and quantitative data that was used in other journal articles that are similar to this paper. The findings of this paper are based on how the labor market, trade unions and the society at large understand and welcome the 4th industrial revolution. Trade union activists and job seekers are against the introduction of the 4th industrial revolution in South Africa. The 4th industrial revolution is commonly termed as the Internet of Things (IoT) which suggests that the presence of a human in industries is no longer necessary. Others say the 4th industrial revolution is the Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). South African people are divided when it comes to the 4th industrial revolution, others think the revolution will speed up the work while others think the revolution will take away their jobs. The main objective of the paper was to examine how labour will cope with the 4th industrial revolution in South Africa. The paper addressed the fundamental concerns associated with the fourth industrial revolution and the impact of this revolution in South Africa. The paper has examined how people will benefit from the 4th industrial revolution due to easy upskilling/training in their lines of work. The paper also investigated if all workers will necessarily be affected negatively or positively by the 4th industrial revolution.