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.
Ruhrkohle AG (RAG) pursues four main areas of activity, focusing on energy and chemicals while continuing with its traditional coal mining and real estate businesses. The corporate group represents a workforce numbering more than 100,000 worldwide and total revenues about EUR 22 billion. RAG plans to merge the Groups administration department and the administration departments of its companies Degussa (chemical industry), Steag (energy) and RAG Immobilien (real estate). 1300 jobs will be cut within the next three years (FAZ 15.04.06). The plans are part of a widespread restructuring programme to prepare the public offering of RAG shares in the second quarter of 2007. The Mining, Chemicals and Energy Industrial Union (IG Bergbau, Chemie und Energie, IGBCE), which is represented on the Groups supervisory board, support the plans provided that there will be no compulsary redundancies.
Eurofound (2006), Degussa, STEAG, RAG Immobilien, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 63342, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/63342.