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 US textile and clothing group Hanesbrands has announced to the central works council 265 job cuts at its French sites (17% of its workforce) in the framework of a European wide reorganisation that will lead to 600 job cuts . The job cuts will mainly affect the Autin site (Saône et Loire) with with 165 employees dismissed (20% of the factory workforce) The redundant positions will be mainly technicians and managers. The management has presented a social plan on 19 May 2015 to the central works council and will negotiate with union measures to reduce the number of dismissals
After a first strike, the management announced that it would give more time for the process of information-consultation, which must be finished by 15 October 2015.The management explains its decision to cut by a low growth of the underwear market in the US and in Europe, a weak economic climate in Europe and an increase in the cost of production. In May 2014, the group DBApparel, before being acquired by Hanesbrands, cut 142 salesperson positions.
Eurofound (2015), Hanesbrands, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 83553, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/83553.