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.
Czech coal mining company OKD has announced 1,957 redundancies by the end of February 2021. The government decided to end mining at the Darkov and ČSA mines in the Karviná region and to start the gradual cessation of coal mining. By January 1, 548 people will be dismissed and the remaining 1,409 workers will be dismissed in March 1, 2021. Approximately 400 employees from OKD will be transferred to the state-owned company Diamo to participate in preparatory work in connection with the termination of mining.
OKD is currently facing an economic crisis, which is mainly caused by the continuing decline of energy and coking coal prices combined with the impact of the global pandemic COVID-19. From November 1, the Labour Office will open three mobile counselling centres in the premises of the OKD mining company to provide all services to workers who may be affected by redundancies in the coming months.
At the end of August 2020, OKD had approximately 5,600 employees. Mining activity in all OKD mines is to be terminated, by government decision, by the end of 2022. OKD assets will gradually be transferred to the state-owned company Diamo. Diamo is tasked to organise labour market orientation and training, and to pay social contributions, to former miners.
Eurofound (2020), OKD, Internal restructuring in Czechia, factsheet number 101902, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101902.