Economy
US labor unions scramble to contain AI disruption, threats
As artificial intelligence carries a threat to upend entire sectors of the economy, American labor unions are questioning the rapid change and are scrambling to protect workers, demand corporate transparency and rally political support in their battle.
“As laborers, the ability to withhold our labor is one of our only tools to improve our lives,” explained Aaron Novik, a key organizer with Amazon’s ALU union.
“What happens when that disappears (to AI)? It’s a real existential issue,” he added.
Automation has already transformed most industries since the 1960s, typically reducing workforce numbers in the process.
But the emergence of advanced “physical AI” promises a new generation of intelligent robots that won’t be limited to repetitive tasks – potentially displacing far more blue-collar workers than ever before.
The threat extends beyond manufacturing.
The CEO of Anthropic, which created Claude as a competitor to ChatGPT, warned last week that generative AI could eliminate half of all low-skilled white-collar jobs, potentially driving unemployment rates up to between 10% and 20%.
“The potential displacement of workers and elimination of jobs is a significant concern not just for our members, but for the public in general,” said Peter Finn of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, America’s largest union.
Vetoes
The Teamsters have focused their efforts on passing legislation limiting the spread of automation, but face significant political obstacles.
California’s governor has twice vetoed bills that would ban autonomous trucks from public roads, despite intense lobbying from the state’s hundreds of thousands of union members.
Colorado’s governor followed suit last week, and similar battles are playing out in Indiana, Maryland and other states.
At the federal level, the landscape shifted dramatically with the change in the White House.
Under former president Joe Biden, the Department of Labor issued guidelines encouraging companies to be transparent about AI use, involve workers in strategic decisions, and support employees whose jobs face elimination.
But U.S. President Donald Trump canceled the protections within hours of taking office in January.
“Now it’s clear. They want to fully open up AI without the safeguards that are necessary to ensure workers’ rights and protections at work,” said HeeWon Brindle-Khym of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents workers in the retail sector.
Rush to AI
Meanwhile, companies are racing to implement AI technologies, often with poor results.
“By fear of missing out on innovations, there’s been a real push (to release AI products),” observed Dan Reynolds of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
The CWA has taken a proactive approach, publishing a comprehensive guide for members that urges negotiators to include AI provisions in all collective bargaining agreements.
The union is also developing educational toolkits to help workers understand and negotiate around AI implementation.
A handful of unions have successfully negotiated AI protections into their contracts.
Notable examples include agreements with media company Ziff Davis (which owns Mashable) and video game publisher ZeniMax Studios, a Microsoft subsidiary.
The most significant victories belong to two powerful unions: the International Longshoremen’s Association, representing dock workers, secured a moratorium on full automation of certain port operations, while the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) won guarantees that actors must be consulted and compensated whenever their AI likeness is created.
These successes remain exceptional, however.
The American labor movement, as a whole, lacks the bargaining power enjoyed by those highly strategic or publicly visible sectors, said Brindle-Khym.
“Smaller contract-by-contract improvements are a long, slow process,” she added.
Despite frequent accusations by corporate interests, the unions’ goal isn’t to halt technological progress entirely.
“Workers are usually not seeking to stop the march of technology,” noted Virginia Doellgast, a Cornell University professor specializing in labor relations.
“They just want to have some control.”
As AI continues its rapid advance, the question remains whether unions can adapt quickly enough to protect workers in an economy increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence.
The deputy chief of the Turkish central bank pledged on Wednesday to take a cautious stance amid the Middle East conflict, stressing the monetary authority’s focus on containing spillovers.
In line with this, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) is pivoting its focus toward managing expectations and exchange rates to ensure price stability amid the economic fallout from the conflict, an Anadolu Agency (AA) report quoting the deputy said.
CBRT Deputy Governor Hatice Karahan was speaking at the Institute of International Finance (IIF) Global Outlook Forum in Washington, outlining the bank’s strategy in the face of the geopolitical crisis.
Karahan stated that the Middle East crisis is fundamentally a global supply-side shock and that the bank is focused on preventing external disruptions from affecting the Turkish economy, the AA report said.
“Here it is essential to distinguish between ‘temporary relative price changes’ and ‘persistent, broad-based inflation,'” she said.
“A stronger policy response is warranted if second-round effects on core inflation, wages and expectations begin to materialize.”
“However, as the central bank of Türkiye, during a supply shock, we have to pay very special attention also to the expectations channel and the exchange rate channel; accordingly, in this recent episode, we have adopted a preemptive policy stance to contain spillovers through these channels. … We effectively paused the rate-cutting cycle in March and tightened funding conditions,” she added.
Karahan also noted that the bank will continue to adopt a cautious, data-driven approach, as it is essential during this process, while anchoring expectations through its tight monetary stance.
Her remarks come a week before the expected and closely-watched Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, where analysts and investors will look for the next step of the bank following a pause in rate cuts in March.
Annual inflation declined to 30.9% in March despite the pricing pressures from the fallout of the Iran war.
The disinflation continues across all subgroups, albeit at varying speeds, the central bank’s chief said earlier this week, according to the text of a presentation made in New York.
China’s economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the first quarter of this year, expanding 5% from a year earlier as it largely shrugged off impacts from the Iran war so far, according to data released Thursday.
The January-March data released by the government, covering a period when the Iran war began, were better than economists expected and up from the 4.5% growth seen in the October-December quarter, which was a three-year low. The forecasts for the first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth stood at 4.8%.
The 5.0% year-over-year pace in the first quarter sits at the top of China’s full-year target range of 4.5%-5.0%, highlighting resilience that sets it apart from much of Asia, helped by ample strategic oil reserves and a diversified energy mix.
Yet the Middle East conflict lays bare a core vulnerability: an export-led growth model that delivers annual trade surpluses the size of the Dutch economy depends on open sea lanes – for China and for the customers it sells to.
And as the world’s biggest energy importer and manufacturing powerhouse, soaring oil prices threaten to drive up production costs and squeeze already thin margins at factories that employ hundreds of millions of people. The longer the conflict drags on, the higher the risks and the pressure is already mounting.
On a quarter-on-quarter basis, China’s economy grew 1.3% in the first three months, the fastest pace in a year.
Economists expect China, the world’s second-largest economy, to be able to weather short-term impacts from the Iran war, now in its seventh week. The war is pushing energy prices higher, worsening inflation and impacting global economic growth. But in the longer term, areas including global demand for Chinese exports could take a hit.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week trimmed its economic growth estimates for China to a 4.4% for 2026 as it lowered its global growth forecasts over the Iran war shocks.
Chinese leaders last month set an economic growth target of 4.5% to 5% for this year, the slowest since 1991.
Long-term risks
“China can likely weather short-term disruptions, but a protracted war and higher for longer energy prices would likely start to bite into growth by the second half of the year,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at Dutch bank ING.
Also on Thursday, government data showed industrial output in China rose 5.7% in March year-over-year, better than market expectations, as global demand for Chinese exports of electronic equipment, autos, semiconductors and robotics remained strong.
Retail sales were also up 1.7% from a year earlier, albeit worse-than-estimates and slower than the 2.8% growth in January and February, reflecting sluggish domestic demand for consumer goods.
A years-long real estate sector slump in China has dragged consumer and investor confidence, but the country managed to achieve its targeted “around 5%” growth last year, powered by robust exports that drove its trade surplus to a record nearly $1.2 trillion despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs.
China’s exports will continue to be key in propelling its economy this year, economists believe, but reliance on export growth could now increasingly become a problem.
“The lack of a speedy resolution to the Iran war is likely to dent global growth, which will negatively impact other economies’ ability to absorb Chinese exports,” said Eswar Prasad, a professor of economics and trade policy at Cornell University.
“At a time when all countries are trying to protect their firms, households and economies from the fallout of the Iran war, the appetite for Chinese imports is clearly shrinking,” he explained.
On Tuesday, China reported its exports grew 2.5% in March from a year ago, significantly slowing from the previous two months, although some analysts partly attributed that to seasonal distortions.
China could likely still attain its full-year economic growth target through policy stimulus measures, economists say, but there are other concerns.
A boost in public sector investment, Prasad said, would stabilize headline growth but, unless household demand strengthens significantly, could intensify underlying deflationary pressures and increase the economy’s reliance on exports down the line.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he stays beyond his mandate.
Powell’s term at the helm of the Fed expires on May 15, although he can remain in his role as chairman if no successor has been confirmed.
The central banker said last month that he would not leave his post as a Fed governor until a Justice Department investigation involving him is “well and truly over, with transparency and finality.”
It is rare for a former Fed chair to remain on its board after stepping down as chief. Powell’s Fed governor term ends in 2028.
“I’ll have to fire him,” Trump told Fox Business, if Powell “is not leaving on time.”
The president added: “I’ve wanted to fire him.”
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Powell over the past year for not cutting interest rates more aggressively.
The Trump administration has taken aim at the independent Fed on several levels, initiating an investigation into Powell over renovation cost overruns at the bank and seeking to oust another Fed governor, Lisa Cook.
On whether he would drop the Department of Justice probe involving Powell, Trump said: “I’m not playing. I have to find out.”
Trump has named former central banker Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell, but he must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before taking up the role.
Warsh has a confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee next Tuesday.
But he faces an uphill battle with some lawmakers criticizing the DOJ probe as political pressure on the central bank.
Senator Thom Tillis, a member of Trump’s Republican party who sits on the Senate Banking Committee, has vowed to hold up the nomination as long as the investigation remains unresolved.
Rational motive?
However, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Wednesday that Republicans on the committee “are aligned” in believing that Warsh is a good candidate.
“I am very optimistic that Kevin Warsh will be the chair of the Fed on time,” he said at a press briefing.
Bessent told a CNBC event earlier Wednesday that he hopes “everyone will work to have (Warsh) there on May 16.”
On the impasse, Trump’s top economic adviser Kevin Hassett told an Axios event: “They’ll work something out.”
“I have high confidence that that will happen,” he said on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank’s spring meetings in Washington.
“It’s very hard to figure out what rational motive President Trump can have for prolonging this investigation of Jay Powell if it’s going to delay the confirmation of Kevin Warsh,” said David Wessel, a senior fellow at Washington think tank the Brookings Institution.
Wessel added that if Trump got U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro “to back off,” which observers believe he has the power to do, that would clear the way for Powell’s departure and Warsh’s confirmation.
Powell first took the helm of the Fed during Trump’s first presidency in 2018, and was reappointed to the position under Democrat Joe Biden in 2022.
Türkiye eyes advancing its economic cooperation with Kazakhstan in all areas, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said on Wednesday during the visit to Astana, where he attended several high-level meetings and business talks.
“Kazakhstan’s growth last year was roughly double that of the global growth. While the world grew by about 3%, Kazakhstan grew by 6.5%. Hopefully, with these growth rates, Kazakhstan will rise to a much different position in the world. We will develop our cooperation with Kazakhstan in every field,” he said during a roundtable meeting also attended by Kazakh Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov.
Speaking here, Yılmaz underscored that relations between Türkiye and Kazakhstan are based on a multifaceted foundation of brotherhood, nourished by deep historical ties and a shared civilizational memory.
He also suggested that despite all the geopolitical tensions and the circle of fire in the region encountered in recent years, Türkiye continues on its path of being “an island of stability and a safe haven.”
Referring to the growth of the Turkish economy, he also touched upon the investment potential, calling on both sides and the private sector to evaluate further investment opportunities to excel in trade.
“There are over $2 billion in investments from Kazakhstan to Türkiye, and nearly a thousand Kazakh companies have invested in Türkiye. We need to further increase the number, quantity, and quality of these investments so that the infrastructure of our trade is strengthened,” he said, according to remarks published by Anadolu Agency (AA).
“The more these investments increase, the healthier and stronger our trade will be. In this sense, we invite mutual investment. We invite the Turkish business world to invest more in Kazakhstan, and the Kazakh business world to invest more in Türkiye. We wholeheartedly believe that we will all benefit,” he added.
Moreover, while in Astana, Yılmaz held a one-on-one meeting with Bektenov and inter-delegation meetings.
After the meetings, under the chairpersonship of Yılmaz and Bektenov, the 14th Session of the Kazakhstan-Türkiye Joint Economic Commission (KEK) Inter-Delegation Meeting was held.
Following the meeting, the 14th Session KEK Protocol and a 67-item action plan were signed.
“To further consolidate this strategic partnership, we will hold the 6th Meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in May,” Yılmaz noted.
Advancing cooperation
He also expressed that bilateral relations have “evolved beyond sympathy and have turned into a multidimensional cooperation architecture in areas such as trade, investment, transportation, energy, contracting, industry, agriculture, logistics and finance.”
Here, too, he highlighted the belief that two respective “growing economies need to cooperate more.”
“Our foreign trade reached $10 billion last year, renewing a record. Our goal is to achieve the $15 billion trade volume set by our presidents. At this point, accelerating customs and logistics processes is one of our top priorities. In addition, increasing our mutual investments is extremely important,” he suggested.
Among others, he also pointed to the appeal in the finance sector and said that the Istanbul Financial Center (IFC), established on the way to making Türkiye first a regional and then a global financial center and opened in 2023, stands out with its strong legal infrastructure and tax advantages.
“Taking into account the recent developments in our region, we are working on new initiatives during this period. In the upcoming period, we will take steps to make Türkiye a much more attractive country in terms of finance. We aim to make Istanbul a stronger financial center,” he said.
Middle Corridor ‘mandatory choice’
Also, evaluating the work of the Turkish contractors abroad, Yılmaz mentioned the disruptions in supply chains and described the Middle Corridor route as “a mandatory choice.”
“The Northern Corridor has become unpredictable due to geopolitical tensions. The southern route is pushing the limits of its capacity. This situation has made the Middle Corridor not an alternative but a mandatory choice, with Türkiye and Kazakhstan at the center of this route,” he said.
The Middle Corridor is a long route stretching from China toward Europe via roads and railways, bypassing the conflict-ridden areas.
“In this sense, the Middle Corridor is a line that will carry not only the load of two countries but also of all Eurasia, and the stronger this line is, the more permanent the jointly built prosperity on this line will be,” according to Yılmaz.
The vice president also highlighted the potential in the energy sector, as well as strong education and cultural ties between the two countries.
BBC plans to cut around 2,000 jobs as part of efforts to reduce costs by 10% over the next three years, with staff informed of the move during a company-wide call on Wednesday, according to sources.
The cuts, which mark the biggest round of BBC job cuts in almost 15 years, are being set in motion as former Google boss Matt Brittin prepares to take over as director-general next month.
The Corporation also recently revealed plans to drastically reduce the team behind the coverage of national occasions, such as royal events and State funerals, to one member of staff and freelancers.
In February, the BBC revealed it would reduce its spending by hundreds of millions of pounds in the next three years as it continues to face “substantial financial pressures.”
At the time, the corporation said it hoped to make savings of about 10% of its costs by 2029, but no detail was given about what services may be affected.
It was also revealed in January 2025 that the BBC World Service was to axe 130 jobs as it looked to save about £6 million for the next financial year.
Predominantly funded through the annual £174.50 ($237) licence fee, paid by U.K. TV-watching households, the BBC has faced pressure over its value for money as it faces competition from streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+.
Outgoing BBC director-general Tim Davie stepped down from his post on April 2, having announced his resignation in November, following a turbulent few years for the broadcaster.
Interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, who is believed to have led the all-staff meeting, will head the corporation until Brittin takes over on May 18.
Saudi Arabia will extend $3 billion in additional support for Pakistan to help the South Asian nation and its ally bridge a multi-billion-dollar gap in its finances linked to an upcoming debt repayment to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The extra funding for Pakistan comes on top of Riyadh extending the rollover arrangement for an additional $5 billion deposit for a longer period, Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told reporters in Washington.
The move underlines a deepening relationship between Riyadh and Islamabad, cemented last year by a mutual defense pact treating aggression against either as an attack on both.
“We can confirm that Saudi Arabia has agreed to a $3 billion deposit with Pakistan to support their balance of payments,” a Saudi Ministry of Finance spokesperson told Reuters.
Pakistan faces a $3.5 billion repayment to the UAE this month that has put a strain on its foreign exchange reserves, which stood at about $16.4 billion as of March 27.
The repayment to the UAE amounts to roughly 18% of those holdings.
Under Pakistan’s $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, the country is targeting foreign exchange reserves of more than $18 billion by June.
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan was in Pakistan on Friday in what one source familiar with the matter described as a show of economic support, without providing further details.
“Senator Aurangzeb said this support comes at a critical time for Pakistan’s external financing needs and would help reinforce foreign exchange reserves and strengthen the country’s external account,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that Pakistan is committed to maintaining foreign exchange reserves “in line with its obligations to markets and under the IMF-supported program.”
Pakistan’s international bonds rallied on the news, with longer-dated maturities adding nearly 1 cent to trade at their strongest level since late February.
Asked on Monday whether a Saudi loan was on the table to replace the UAE facility, Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said “all options are on the table,” including Eurobonds, loans and commercial debt.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stepped in to support Pakistan during periods of economic stress. In 2018, Riyadh unveiled a $6 billion package that included a $3 billion deposit at Pakistan’s central bank and $3 billion in oil supplies on deferred payment.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has emerged as the key mediator between the U.S. and Iran to end the war in the Middle East while also shoring up Saudi Arabia’s defenses after the Gulf kingdom came under hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Last week, Pakistan deployed fighter jets and support aircraft to Saudi Arabia after Iranian strikes on key Saudi energy infrastructure.
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