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.
Österreichische Post, the major state-owned postal service provider in Austria, is reducing its workforce by 250 to 500 jobs annually by cutting vacant positions. The measures are part of a general strategy to reduce costs in the company.
However, Christian trade unionists (FCG) fear that there are going to be greater job losses due to new letter sorting machines to be deployed until mid-2015. The Österreichische Post emphasised that there are no new strings of layoffs planned.
The ERM previously reported on restructurings at Österreichische Post in 2013, 2012 and 2010.
Eurofound (2014), Oesterreichische Post, Internal restructuring in Austria, factsheet number 76754, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/76754.