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 18 November 2014, IBM announced 285 layoffs in Italy as part of a reorganisation plan involving 1,898 redundancies across Europe. The layoffs concern managers and white-collar workers and will affect especially the plants in Segrate (MI) and Rome. However, redundancies are also likely to occur in other sites across Italy.
According to IBM, the layoffs result from disappointing results in the last quarter and by the need to streamline and reorganise the activities across the world.
The Italian Federation of Metalworkers (Fim), the metalworkers union affiliated to Italian Confederation of Workers' Trade Unions (Cisl), has challenged IBM's decision, highlighting that this is the third round of collective dismissals in 18 months. During this time, IBM has cut more than 1,000 jobs in Italy.
Update, 27/03/2015: On 14 March 2015, IBM and trade unions agreed 260 dismissals, to be achieved by means of incentivised voluntary dismissals and early retirement. On 27 March 2015, the agreement was validated by means of a vote among workers. In addition, the company will hire 120 apprentices.
Eurofound (2014), IBM, Internal restructuring in Italy, factsheet number 77899, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/77899.