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 German chemical company Envalior announced during a special works council meeting that it intends to close its glass fibre production facility in Kallo, in the Antwerp port area, by the end of 2026. This decision will affect 220 employees.
The company cites unsustainable economic conditions as the main reason, including high production and energy costs, increased imports from low-cost regions, and a structurally declining demand for glass fibre. Despite cost-saving measures and improvement initiatives, the plant remains loss-making, producing at a cost higher than the market price.
Envalior will now follow the Renault procedure, as prescribed by law. The company stresses that its other operations in the Antwerp port, employing around 600 people, will not be impacted.
Eurofound (2026), Envalior, Closure in Belgium, factsheet number 203987, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/203987.