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.
Low-cost airline company Ryanair announced the closure of its bases in the following four airports: Girona, Tenerife South, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. The decision is expected to affect 512 employees in the roles of cabin crew and pilots. More specifically, the job losses are distributed as follows: 164 employees in Girona, 156 in Tenerife, 110 in Gran Canaria and 82 in Lanzarote. According to information released by the trade union USO, the company plans to conclude the restructuring event by 8 January 2020.
According to the company, the closures derive from delivery delays of new Max aircraft, effects from a potential no-deal Brexit and a 41% profit decrease for the first four months of 2019 with respect to two years ago. On the contrary, trade unions USO and Sepla claim that the closures were announced just after they called for a 10-day strike in September to avoid the closures themselves.
Updated, 16/10/2019:
As the company presented a labour adjustment plan on 15 October, the number of employees affected by the collective dismissal is reduced to 432, of which 327 cabin crew and 105 pilots. Negotiations between the company and trade unions will begin between 25 and 30 October.
Updated, 29/04/2020:
The National Court has cancelled the collective dismissal of the 224 Ryanair workers at their bases in the Canary Islands. This cancellation obliges Ryanair to readmit them immediately with the same conditions and paying them the salary of all the months after the dismissal.
Eurofound (2019), Ryanair, Closure in Spain, factsheet number 98458, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/98458.