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.
The company Alestis Aerospace, supplier of aerostructures for manufacturers in the aerospace sector, announced a collective layoff plan, affecting 585 employees, most of them in Andalusia (265 in Seville and 233 in Cádiz), and 87 in Vitoria (Basque Country ). Aciturri, the business group that owns Alestis, argues that the current crisis caused by COVID-19 is forcing the company to dismiss around 45% of its workforce. This decision comes after Aciturri announcement of a collective dismissals plan (214 jobs cut) for the parent company too.
Unions have called for workers to protests during September to reject the dismissals . Meanwhile, the company and workers' representatives have met to negotiate the terms of the plan, although they have not reached any agreement after seven meetings.
Eurofound (2020), Alestis Aerospace, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 101927, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/101927.