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 white goods manufacturing group Antonio Merloni is to dismiss 1,450 blue-collar workers at its sites in Fabriano (Ancona) (820) and Nocera Umbra (Perugia) (630).
The group is under extraordinary administration since 2008. In 2011, a new company, JP Industries absorbed part of the company's activities and re-employed 700 redundant workers, whilst Wages Guarantee Fund was enacted for the rest 1,450 employees; an agreement foresaw the allocation of public funds to favour their relocation.
Due to bureaucratic problems the funds have not been activated yet and the Commissioner opened a mobility procedure for the 1,450 workers, whose benefits have just expired.
Trade unions and local institutions asked for the activation of a negotiation table at the Ministry of Economic Development and expressed concerns also for subcontracting firms and for the 700 workers employed by JP Industries. For a previous restructuring event, seeĀ MerloniIT-2004.
As reported, Italy has applied for assistance from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).
Eurofound (2014), Antonio Merloni, Bankruptcy in Italy, factsheet number 77696, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/77696.