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.
The management of Huayi Compressor Barcelona, subsidiary of a Chinese multinational, has announced to workers representatives the implementation of a workforce adjustment affecting 164 workers. The company states that the restructuring process is due to economic reasons.
However, the union CC.OO. declared to the press that the intention of the company is to offshore part of the production to China. Company and unions are now in a period of negotiations. CC.OO. has publicly demanded Huayi Compressor to provide an industrial plan to guarantee viability of the site and of the remaining jobs. The factory was created by Unidad Hermética in 1975 and purchased by Huayi Group in 2012. In 2013 Huayi Group acquired Cubigel Compressors and founded Huayi Compressors Barcelona.
Eurofound (2019), Huayi Compressors Barcelona, Internal restructuring in Spain, factsheet number 99340, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/99340.