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.
Azuvi, the ceramic tile manufacturer in Vila-real, which has declared bankruptcy proceedings under voluntary arrangement with creditors, through the receivership administrators has proposed to the company's Works Council a redundancy procedure that will represent the loss of 197 work posts, maintaining another 78 employees under temporary lay-off conditions. Sources from the Independent Union have explained that the current staff stands at 278 employees, thus if the company's proposal is accepted, 81 workers would remain. If the temporary lay-off requested for 78 workers also receives approval, the workers that would remain at the factory during the nine-month period will only be three.
Finally, in March 2010 the company announced its closure and dismissed all the remaining workers.
Eurofound (2009), Azuvi, Bankruptcy in Spain, factsheet number 69317, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/69317.