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 24 October 2010, Riga international airport have informed the Airport workers trade union about its plans to dismiss 200 workers on 1 January 2011. The planned dismissals include mainly blue-collar workers (loaders, dockers, luggage operators). The contract made between AirBaltic and Riga International Airport on ground handling services expired on 31 December 2009 and was not extended, instead the airport signed contract with the North Hub Services. North Hub Services indirectly belongs to Bertolt Flick, the president of AirBaltic, the main airline operating in Riga International airport. The airport stated that AirBaltic provided 70% of affected blue-collar workers, and thus redundancies are unavoidable. In the same time Airport suggested the new contractor North Hub services to hire the dismissed workers, as they are already trained for the role and know the job. North Hub services admit that they could recruite redundant workers, however, there is no information on whether they did hire the ex-Airbaltic handling staff.
Eurofound (2010), Riga International airport, Outsourcing in Latvia, factsheet number 71618, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/71618.