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.
Secop, a manufacturer of refrigerating compressors, will dismiss around 250 employees in Fürstenfeld by mid-2020. Due to the weak market conditions and high production costs, production will be offshored to facilities in Slowakia and China. However, another 100 administrative positions will be kept. Together with the worker's council, the company's management is working on a redundancy programme. Additionally, a labour foundation shall be established in cooperation with the local labour agency.
The Austrian Secop plant is a part of an international group that specialises in household, light commercial and battery-powered energy-efficient compressors for refrigerators. Currently, Secop-Group has around 1,800 employees worldwide.
Eurofound (2019), Secop, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Austria, factsheet number 98963, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/98963.