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.
Candy group announced the closure of Bessel, a company producing dishwashers and located at Santa Maria Hoé (in the province of Lecco). The closure of this plant will result in 204 job losses. Around 50 workers should be relocated to the Candy plant located at Brugherio, in the province of Milan. The dishwashers production will be offshored to China. According to the company the delocalisation is due to the need for reducing costs, and consolidating its presence in new markets. The trade unions reacted to the company's decision organising some protest actions. Moreover, local authorities announced some meetings with the Candy group and trade unions in order to find alternative solutions to the closure of the Bessel plant.
Eurofound (2011), Bessel, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Italy, factsheet number 71993, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/71993.