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.
Nokian Tyres, a Finish manufacturer of tyres for cars, trucks, buses, and heavy-duty equipment has started the construction works of a tyre production plant in Oradea (Bihor County). Nokian Tyres has started recruiting future employees for the new factory in Oradea, shortly after the start of construction. 550 new persons will be hired by the end of 2023. The investment is estimated at €650 million, of which €100 million is state aid. The company announced that the plant will have a production capacity of 6 million tyres. The first tyres will be produced at the end of 2024, with mass production starting in 2025.
According to company representatives, Nokian Tyres will export up to 90% of the tyres produced at the Oradea plant mainly in Europe. However, the company's CEO also declared that some of the company products will be exported to the US.
According to a document published by the Ministry of Finance, Nokian Tyres' objectives in Romania include the development of the local economy and the welfare of the local community, by paying employees above the average wage in the region. Thus, the average gross salary in the Nokian Tyres plant will be €2,070 per month, higher than the average gross salary at national level reported in August 2022 (€1,229 per month). Nokian Tyres currently manufactures passenger car tyres at two plants in Nokia, Finland and Dayton, USA. The Romanian plant will be the company's third production facility.
In addition to building this new car tyre plant in Oradea, Nokian Tyres continues to expand capacity at its existing plants in Finland and the USA and to increase contracted production to third parties. The company aims to reach a global capacity of 15 million tyres by 2027.
Update, 28 September 2023 The company announced that the hiring process has started.
Eurofound (2023), Nokian Tyres, Business expansion in Romania, factsheet number 109193, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/109193.