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.
Roca Sanitario launched a Redundancy Procedure affecting 486 workers: 228 in Alcalá de Guadaira (Sevilla) and 258 in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).
Negotiations between the management and the workers’ representatives on the dismissal conditions will take place for a month, according to the law. However, the unions have opposed the measure and have called for a strike on the 8th of February.
The management justifies the measure arguing that is has recorded losses since the fourth quarter of 2007 as a consequence of the decline in the domestic market and the collapse of the construction sector. On the other hand, the unions insist that the company does not fulfill the legal requirements for collective dismissals and profits were recorded in 2012.
Roca group, manufacturer and supplier of bathroom solutions, employs directly over 2000 people in Spain and 21000 worldwide.
Updated, 25-06-2013
As announced the previously proposed restructuring plan (ERE) was annulled by the Labour courts. Accordingly, all dismissed workers should come back to work. After these developments the company announced plans to apply for another Redundancy Procedure plan (an agreement was reached on the 24 July), affecting 137 employees (97 in Alcalá de Guadaira and 40 in Alcalá de Henares).
The rest of the employees will have the chance to be relocated in the plant located in Burgos (Castilla y León). The measure also includes an early retirement plan which complements the unemployment benefits of the workers aged 54 years or more until they qualify to receive the pension. The rest of the workers will receive compensation by dismissal equal to 42 days pay per year worked up to a maximum of 32 months.
Eurofound (2013), Roca Sanitario, Closure in Spain, factsheet number 74885, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/74885.