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.
Finnish clothing manufacturer, Nanso, has announced plans to reduce its workforce by around 200 positions at its factories in Tornio in northern Finland and Nokia in the Tampere region. The company has suffered net losses in the past few years and indicated a need to adopt a new cost structure and consider alternative operational models to return the business to profitability. According to the company, reasons behind the falling sales include a reduced consumer demand (particularly in Finland and Russia) and slow economic growth in Finland, as well as increased price competition in the clothing industry.
UPDATE 15/12 2015 After three months the employer-employee negotiations were conclude and on the 8th of December Nanso announced that 86 jobs will be cut. The manufacturing of tricots at the factory in Nokia will be discontinued. At the moment the future situation for the tights producing factory in Tornia is still unclear. The factory in Nokia has a workforce of 130 people and the factory in Tornio has a workforce of 70 people. The factory in Nokia will be closed during the autumn of 2016 and Nanso plans to establish a supply-chain in Estonia.
Eurofound (2015), Nanso, Internal restructuring in Finland, factsheet number 84659, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/84659.