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 fresh fruit and vegetable cooperative Agrial has announced 110 job cuts in France. It has presented a safeguard employment plan; it mainly affects its 'fresh vegetables and fruit' branch, which recorded a deficit of €18.6 million in 2021. Known through its 'Florette', 'Créaline' and 'Priméale' brands, in 2021 Agrial had to cope with a context of overproduction, which pulled demand and prices down. The outlook for 2022 is not good, because of the strong rise in inflation. The job cuts will be made in the cooperative's support functions, i.e., in commercial and management activities. No positions in production will be affected.
The company has a total workforce of 3,000 in France.
Eurofound (2022), Agrial, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 106979, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/106979.