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.
Alto Belice Ambiente, the company in charge of waste management services in the hinterland of Palermo, is to dismiss all its 276 workers.
The company has discontinued its activities since January 2015 due to its bankruptcy.
In the meantime, workers have been suspended from work and negotiations involving local governments are ongoing, addressing options to reduce costs and to put workers back to work.
Eventually, the dismissal of workers was deemed as a necessary step to grant them a priority right over hiring from companies replacing Alto Belice Ambiente in the area.
Yet, according to media reports, this is more likely to happen for the 69 redundant waste collectors than the other affected workers in administrative functions.
Over the last months, workers issued several demonstrations and protests.
Eurofound (2016), Alto Belice Ambiente, Bankruptcy in Italy, factsheet number 91271, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/91271.