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.
Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning, a manufacturer of air conditioning units in Spain, presented a redundancy plan on 8 February to lay off 140 of the 560 employees working at its factory in Vacarisses (Barcelona, Catalonia).
In a statement, the union representatives disputed the need for dismissals.Trade union sources indicate that a meeting between the company management and the Works Council will take place on 15 February, and a mediation meeting with the regional government of Catalonia on 16 February. The Works Committee announces strikes and demonstrations against the planned dismissals.
The trade union UGT points out that the company applied a Temporary Layoff Plan (Expediente de RegulaciĆ³n Temporal de Empleo, ERTE) between October 2023 and January 2024. In addition, in January 2023 a massive hiring was carried out through Temporary Employment Agencies, and throughout 2023 the workforce was asked for flexibility in view of the poor performance of the business.
The company is a joint venture between the American Johnson Controls (60%) and the Japanese Hitachi (40%).
Eurofound (2024), Johnson Controls-Hitachi , Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 200813, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/200813.