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.
Bimbo, a food manufacturing company, has announced the presentation of a redundancy programme that will affect 166 direct jobs (plus another 40 indirect jobs among various local suppliers).
Specifically, the company has announced the closure of the Valladolid plant, arguing that technical and organisational reasons to justify the closure, with the aim of concentrating production in certain factories to make production more efficient.
The reaction of the trade union representatives has been to reject the measure, and they have announced several mobilisations throughout Spain as a protest and negotiation measure.
Previous internal restructuring events were recorded in the ERM database in 2019 Bimbo-2019-ESand 2022 Bimbo-2022-ES
Updated, 25th October 2024: Workers of the Bimbo plant in Valladolid have unanimously ratified a pre-agreement with the company, set to be signed next week. The ratified pre-agreement includes relocations in the different plants of the Bimbo group, of which “at least 41” will be in the Medina del Campo premise, in addition to early retirements from 55 years of age. In this regard, workers between 55 and 58 years old would have 85% of the net salary, workers of 59 years old 90% and those over 60 years old 95%. Also, and for workers with little seniority, an increased amount of compensation has been obtained so that they can be better off. In addition, a reindustrialization plan is proposed, which would consist of an investor installing a company that will have at least 50 jobs at the Bimbo facilities in the San Cristóbal premise. The plant is scheduled to cease operations on 31 December 2024, with a possible extension for dismantling until 28 February 2025, pending the activation of another company.
Eurofound (2024), Bimbo, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 201640, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/201640.