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.
Welsh engineering company, Mabey Bridge announced closure of one of its factories. The closure will result in the loss of 150 jobs. The factory is located at Station Road, Chepstow in Monmouthshire. Formal consultation with the workers at the Station Road site has commenced. It is understood that the company is calling for employees to apply for voluntary redundancy. Highway bridges, railway bridges, footbridges and sign gantries are made at the Station Road site.
Mabey Bridge has also announced its plan to sell the renewables section of its business, which employs a further 180 employees at its Mathern site. This site was opened as recently as 2011 (see earlier factsheet). This section of the business builds towers for wind turbines and also carries out work in offshore renewable energy. While a buyer may be found for renewables section of the business which may include a transfer of jobs to the new owner, the site may also be redeveloped for other purposes. Should this happen, it would bring the total number of jobs lost to 330.
Eurofound (2014), Mabey Bridge, Closure in United Kingdom, factsheet number 78001, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/78001.