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.
Norwegian, the third largest low-cost airline in Europe and the sixth in the world, closes its bases in Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Mallorca, and will reduce flight frequencies in these facilities. This decision is part of a general program to reduce costs at airports in Europe and the United States. This plan involves the collective dismissal of 375 employees throughout Spain. These changes do not affect any of the other bases that Norwegian has in Spain (Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga and Madrid). The company affirms that it will facilitate the mobility of affected workers to other bases. However, the workers representatives of the Palma base claim that the mobility plans are not focusing on compensating the affected employees. After three weeks of negotiations, the company has implemented a temporary suspension plan of employment in this base, while resolving the situation of these workers.
Eurofound (2019), Norwegian Air Shuttle, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 97587, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/97587.