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.
Seafood firm Young's is to cut 120 jobs - almost half the workforce - at its plant at Annan in south west Scotland. The company will transfer its breaded scampi de-shelling to Thailand in a factory owned by sister company Findus. Director of scampi, Mike Mitchell, said it had been an "extremely difficult" decision but hand-shelling was not economically viable in the UK. T&G union regional industrial organiser John Holroyd said the cuts were "absolutely devastating" for the town. Young's proposals to ship fish from Scotland to Thailand for shelling have sparked environmental concerns. The company has insisted that overall carbon emissions would not be increased by the planned changes. The T&G union said it hoped that the level of public outcry at the plans could help it in its fight. It has set up a fighting fund to finance a possible nationwide campaign. It also hopes to secure thousands of signatures on a petition calling for the retention of the jobs in Annan. Organiser John Holroyd said he had not given up hope of salvaging some posts.
Eurofound (2006), Young's, Offshoring/Delocalisation in United Kingdom, factsheet number 64508, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/64508.