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.
Cigarette manufacturing company British American Tobacco announced an investment of HUF 7.5 billion (€22.5 million) in its production plant in Pécs. The company plans to complement the current production line with five additional ones by the end of 2020. The new lines serve the production of nicotine pads, as the company aims at focusing more on smokeless products, which are considered less hazardous than traditional cigarettes. The company plans to export nicotine pads to Northern Europe, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. When operating at full capacity, the plant will be among the largest production site of the company for nicotine pads.
The decision is expected to create 100 new job positions. The company specified that the recently-announced global restructuring plan does not involve the company's plans to expand the production lines in Pécs.
Eurofound (2019), BAT Pécsi Dohánygyár, Business expansion in Hungary, factsheet number 98772, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/98772.