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.
Diosynth, Akzo Nobel's pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing business, has announced a restructuring across the world. To face the declining demand, Diosynth is reducing its worldwide chemical synthesis capacity by closing its site in Mexico and scaling back facilities in the Netherlands. A start was already made last month with a reduction of production capacity at Buckhaven (Scotland) site. Workforce reductions will directly affect a total of approximately 350 employees. Closure of the site in Mexico City will affect all its 175 employees. The workforce in the Netherlands will be reduced by 100 employees in the course of 2004 through natural attrition and expiry of the majority of temporary employment contracts. In Buckhaven the workforce will be reduced by 75 people. For each site, consultation involving unions and works councils is being, or will be, undertaken as appropriate.
Eurofound (2004), Akzo Nobel, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 59351, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/59351.