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.
Munters, a Swedish multinational manufacturer of air treatment and climate control solutions, has announced it will be closing its facility in Dison. In total 216 jobs are at risk of which approximately three quarters are blue collar workers and one quarter white collar. According to the trade union representatives within the company the main reasons behind the closure were limited profitability - the Dison unit was loss-making in 2018 and increased (foreign) competition especially in the market for data centre cooling solutions in which the Dison unit specialised.
Eurofound (2019), Munters, Closure in Belgium, factsheet number 96730, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/96730.