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.
Ideal Standard, the European leading brand in bathrooms' design and solutions, is to cut 650 jobs. At the beginning of July, the company announced a reorganisation plan that envisaged an 'extra-ordinary' Wage Guarantee Fund (CIGS) one-year scheme for 1,740 workers (out of 7,000 employees) and, at the end of the CIGS scheme, 650 job-cuts, with the closure of Brescia plant (130 employees) and Gozzano plant in the province of Novara (140 employees). According to the company, the workforce's reduction was due to the relevant decrease in sales reported last year.
The trade unions reacted to the company's decision by going out on strike and occupying the Brescia plant. Moreover they asked the involvement of the national authorities. On 16 July, after a meeting between the company, the trade unions and the Minister of Economic Development, the company announced the stoppage of the CIGS scheme for 1,740 workers. Moreover, the company and the trade unions have planned some meetings in order to avoid the layoffs and find measures to relaunch the productive activity.
Ideal Standard is headquartered in Milan and has five productive plants, located at Brescia, Orcenico, Roccasecca, Gozzano and Trichiana. In Italy, it has around 7,000 employees.
Eurofound (2009), Ideal Standard, Closure in Italy, factsheet number 69435, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/69435.