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 8 July 2011, the German Metalworkers' Union stated that only 160 jobs will be cut at the French company Alstom's site in Salzgitter (Lower Saxony). Alstom had originally announced to cut 700 jobs at the site in March 2011. However the union and management have now reached an agreement to lower job cuts which will be implemented through compensation payments offered to affected employees and by not filling positions which become vacant. The union also stated that the agreement included the company's committment not to implement enforced redundancies until August 2016.
Alstom's plan to reduce staff in Germany is part of a large restructuring programme affecting many countries (see related factsheet 16071). The company also told the press that the restructuring was necessary due to the lower demand for Alstom's products. There is currently no information on when the job cuts will be implemented by.
Eurofound (2011), Alstom Transport, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 71794, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/71794.