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 28 June 2013, the pig slaughterhouse Gad SA announced plans to cut 946 jobs out of a total workforce of 1662 employees. In detail, the company will close its slaughterhouse of Lampaul-Guimiliau (Finistère, 828 employees), its sausage factory of Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique, 64 employees) and its headquarters located in Saint-Martin-des-Champs (Finistère, 54 employees). However, it will maintain its pig slaughterhouse of Josselin (Morbihan) which currently employs 616 people. This site has potential for greater production from currently 23,000 pigs per week to 45,000. Therefore company will offer internal relocation for 300 of its 946 dismissed employees.
The group Gad, which has lost nearly 100 million euros, was placed in receivership since February but found no buyer. It is the second large slaughterhouse company, alongside group Doux, to implement such a significant restructuring.
As reported, France has applied for assistance from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).
Eurofound (2013), Gad, Closure in France, factsheet number 75633, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/75633.