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.
Chocolate company Perugina, part of the Nestlé group, announced there will be no further resort to shock absorber instruments by the end of June 2018 at its branch in San Sisto, near Perugia. As a result, some 340 workers, whose jobs have been by now saved by resorting to solidarity contracts (that is the reduction of working hours in order to avoid dismissals) will be made redundant in 2018. This announcement is part of a broader restructuring plan, which also entails a significant investment by the company in order to relaunch the brand internationally. Trade unions opposed the the plan, started mobilisation and called for the intervention of the national government.
Update, 10/03/2018: A preliminary agreement was reached on 10 March 2018 between the trade unions and the company management. The job reduction will take place on a voluntary basis via early retirements, voluntary exits with economic incentives, and relocation to other companies within the country, with the guarantee that, in case of job loss within 14 months, a severance allowance will be paid by Perugina. Moreover, the company committed to offer seasonal contracts to workers who will be laid off. In the next few weeks, the workers will vote to support or reject the preliminary agreement.
Eurofound (2017), Perugina, Internal restructuring in Italy, factsheet number 93561, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/93561.