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 5 March 2017, harbour logistics provider Gesamthafenbetriebsverein announced to cut 500 jobs in Germany. The company wants to close its sales department affecting about 80 employees in Bremerhaven, the other affected employees are working at the site in Bremen.
The works’ council requested the other harbour companies to take over the affected employees. According to newspaper reports, the 80 employees in Bremerhaven and the 300 employees in Bremen had already been offered new jobs in similar companies like the logistic provider BLG. However, there are no reports whether staff have accepted these offers.
There will be further negotiations with the management, the union and politicians from the senate in Bremen as the city of Bremen is a co-owner of the logistics provider.
Gesamthafenbetriebsverein employs about 800 employees in Bremen and 1,200 in Bremerhaven.
Eurofound (2017), Gesamthafenbetriebsverein, Closure in Germany, factsheet number 90491, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/90491.