Ethics in the digital workplace
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns.
Italian footwear producer Melania has announced plans to close its plant in Alesd (BihorCounty) by the end of 2020. One hundred employees, in production and in administrative positions will be affected. In December 2019, the first stage of the restructuring consisted in reducing the staff, from 400 to 100, by collective dismissal.
The redundancies are taking place due to the increasingly unstable financial situation of the company and minimum wage increases in Romania. The production has been relocated to non-EU countries, namely Serbia, Republic of North Macedonia, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova or Albania, locations where salaries are lower. The trade union has not provided any public commentary following the announcement made by management.
The company was founded in 1966 and its main markets are Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Russia, North America (Canada), Central America (Mexico) and USA.
Eurofound (2020), Melania, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Romania, factsheet number 101797, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101797.