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.
Dairy Farmers of Britain made 127 job cuts on 9th June 2009 when administrators PricewaterhouseCooper announced the immediate closure of the Boultham Park dairy, after failing to find a buyer. The cooperative that owns the milk depot, went into receivership after it lost a supermarket contract. The situation had been discussed with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the National Farmers' Union as well as other unions, but it was decided that the dairy had to be closed to stop any further losses.
On 12th June 2009 PwC announced both the diaries in Bridgend and Blaydon would also be closed, with the the loss of 279 jobs and up to 290 jobs respectively. John Gorle, Usdaw national officer, said: "We are again appalled and frustrated at the receivers' decision to close the Bridgend and Blaydon dairies as well as the Lincoln site without consultation. All our members are understandably devastated."
Eurofound (2009), Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFB), Bankruptcy in United Kingdom, factsheet number 69080, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/69080.