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 management of the Hutchinson plant at Châlette-sur-Loing (Loiret), which is specialised in rubber and plastic products, has announced that between 160 and 170 jobs will be cut by the end of the year. The plant manufactures rubber parts for the automotive and aerospace industries.
Employee representatives were told at a Social and economic committee meeting in early May that management was planning to downsize the 'fitting' workshop, which produces hoses for cars. Since then, discussions have been underway between management and the unions with a view to reaching an agreement on a voluntary departure plan.
As a reminder, in 2020 the company announced that it would be cutting 1,000 jobs in France (FR-Hutchinson-2020), which had already resulted in the loss of 113 of the 195 jobs announced for this site.
Eurofound (2023), Hutchinson, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 109140, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/109140.