John Harris asks what happens next to all the jobs that technology will obliterate (Ten million jobs could be gone in 15 years. What then?, 30 April). He fears that inequality will worsen. Not necessarily. Let robots do the boring, repetitive stuff. Humans can do all those jobs required to create a better life for all, and provide decent pay and good working conditions to boot. It’s not rocket science. We need many more care, support, youth and early years workers. In fact, we pretty much need to reinvent local government and the services it should provide. Our parks, green and other spaces need workers to create pleasant environments (we once had such workers). We know the NHS is in crisis and that without investment – including increasing staff numbers – the future is bleak.

In addition, a progressive government needs to rejuvenate our education system. That means developing a truly comprehensive system under democratic control. And it should enable us to learn for learning’s sake (gone will be the 40-plus-hour working week) as well as offering high-quality education and training throughout life for work, leisure and citizenship engagement. Perhaps a citizens’ income is the way forward, or maybe a genuine offer of decent work, at least for those who can. Either way, a dignified and adequate income for all: bread and roses.

Can this happen? Yes, if we adopt what Rutger Bregman has suggested in his book Utopia for Realists, alongside a fair, redistributive tax system.

Jol Miskin

Sheffield

• Even if one makes the dubious assumption that no new jobs are created, the loss of 10m jobs over 15 years is a mere 2% of all jobs per year and means a welcome rise in labour productivity, and thus potential real per capita income. It is modest compared with the productivity rises of around 4% a year during the postwar boom.

Harris discusses the need for better education and training to meet this challenge. But the crucial question for the left is how jobs are distributed across the working population and who receives the benefits of productivity rises in higher wages. A fall in average weekly hours of work would avoid rising unemployment and enables more time with, and caring for, friends and relatives. However, firms have no wish to reduce the length of the working week – rather the opposite. This beneficial path would, therefore, require a leap in democratic control over production. The same is true for achieving a beneficial social and geographical distribution of jobs.

Dr Jamie Gough

Sheffield

• John Harris is right to say the left has articulated no comprehensive answer to the existing and future threats posed to employment by automation. Key to this must be prioritising labour-intensive sectors that are difficult to automate, such as health, education and elderly care. Equally key is a climate-friendly infrastructure programme. Crucial to this will be to make the UK’s 30m buildings super-energy efficient, thus dramatically reducing energy bills, fuel poverty and greenhouse gas emissions. The housing crisis should be tackled by building affordable, highly insulated new homes, predominantly on brown field sites, and local public transport links need to be rebuilt.

This massive work programme would provide a secure career structure for decades, and would involve a large number of apprenticeships and professional jobs, as well as opportunities for the self-employed and local small businesses. It can be paid for by “people’s quantitative easing”, from fairer taxes, local authority bonds and green ISAs. Since such savers are likely to be predominantly older, this would also be a necessary exercise in intergenerational solidarity.

Colin Hines

Convenor, Green New Deal Group

• I am no luddite, but robot fast-food deliveries? There are already concerns that some people will deliberately step in front of autonomous cars just to make them stop. It would not be long before the people started putting obstacles in front of these trundling boxes, or kidnapping them, just for fun, ransom or a free meal. And what about kerbs? I am reminded of a cartoon showing a group of Daleks at the bottom of a flight of steps; one says: “Well, this completely buggers our plan to conquer the universe.”

William Wilson

London

• The title itself alarmingly tells you everything you need to know about future job losses from automation. The customer in their own little way can help stop the rot by always going to a till manned by an actual assistant. Simply ignore the self-service device.

Terence Oon

Burgess Hill, West Sussex

• All those consumables produced and processed by robots will require consumers: consumers who are earning enough to buy the consumables and pay the taxes robots can’t and their owners perhaps won’t.

Dave Hughes

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

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