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.
On 20 May, Finnish industrial group Wärtsilä announced the closure of a workshop in Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin) as part of a restructuring plan resulting in the loss of 116 jobs (out of a total of 530 in France).
In order to better utilize its assets, Wärtsilä France plans to concentrate all high speed engine workshop activities at the services site in Surgères (Charente-Maritime). This means closing the workshop activities in Mulhouse. In addition, Wärtsilä France is reorganizing its structure for a better optimization of resources in service sales, technical support as well as purchasing. These measures imply a reduction of approximately 116 positions mainly in Mulhouse while, at the same time, approximately 35 new job opportunities will be offered mainly in Surgères. In January, the Finnish group announced a plan to reduce approximately 1,400 jobs globally within the group. Of these reductions, 570 were planned to occur in the Netherlands where the company employs 1,561 people.
Eurofound (2010), Wätsilä France, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 70707, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/70707.