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.
In October 2010, Alstom announced the intention to close two units in its plant of Belfort (Territoire de Belfort) and cut up to a hundred jobs through non-replacement of workers going on retirement and internal mobility.
The job cuts are part of a large restructuring affecting many countries and resulting in 4,000 job losses by the end of March 2012 (see related fact sheet 16071).The restructuring, justified by overcapacity, concerns its power division (49,000 employees) which manufactures electric turbines.
The unions are currently fighting against the restructuring at the court and the management has not yet started to reduce the workforce. The management said there would be non-forced redundancies.
Last August, according to the expert of the Central Works Council Syndex the workforce will not be reduced by a hundred workers, but 251 jobs will be cut, including 172 in production from 2011 to 2014.
The union CGT denounced the restructuring plan last August and underlined that Alstom has receive public funds for its site in Belfort in exchange of the commitment to maintain the level of employment for the next three years.
Eurofound (2011), Alstom Power, Internal restructuring in France, factsheet number 72530, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/72530.