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.
The glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain announced its intention to close its plant at Auvelais and to cut 320 jobs at the end of February. According to management, the decision is the result of increasing competition in the sector and the needs to reduce costs in Benelux.
Trade unions have indicated that they consider the closure unacceptable and have arranged several strikes. They have also acted to defer the official announcement of closure by not attending the company works council. Belgian laws provide that restructurings have to be announced to the works council. After further refusals, unions finally agreed to attend and to hear the bad news.
Belgian authorities applied for EGF (European Globalisation Adjustment Fund) funds on 19/08/2015.
Eurofound (2014), Saint-Gobain Glass, Closure in Belgium, factsheet number 76704, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/76704.