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.
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Italian packaging specialist Reno de Medici (RDM Group) has announced the closure of its Spanish subsidiary RDM Barcelona Cartonboard factory in Castellbisbal (Barcelona), resulting in the dismissal of 237 employees. The company attributes this decision to increasingly challenging market conditions, citing shifts in consumption patterns, inflationary pressures across Europe and a complex geopolitical environment exacerbated by the Russia–Ukraine conflict. RDM Group also noted the presence of accumulated stock levels within its value chain and significantly low factory capacity utilisation rates. Notably, RDM Barcelona Cartonboard reported a turnover of €108 million in 2023—merely half that of the previous year—and incurred a loss of €724,000.
The trade union CCOO has strongly criticised the decision, alleging that management has failed to engage in sincere dialogue.
Eurofound (2025), RDM Barcelona Cartonboard, Closure in Spain, factsheet number 202387, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/202387.