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.
On January 5, pharmaceutical and chemical company Laboratoires Merck Schering-Plough announced the discontinuation of pharmaceutical activities at its plant of Eragny-sur-Epte (Oise) with 247 job cuts by May 2012.
The closure is to be seen in the frame of a 2010 restructuring plan linked to the acquisition of Schering Plough by Merck, where the company announced its intention to sell the plant of Eragny-sur-Epte before the end of 2011. Given the lack of buyers, Laboratoires Merck Schering-Plough decided to close down its pharmaceutical activities at the plant.
UPDATE, 15/02/2012 - According to recent press reports, another 74 jobs at Merck's chemical division in Eragny-sur-Epte may also go. Staff representatives' attempts to avoid the closure of the pharmacy division (pôle pharmacie) have failed and the French Ministry of Finance refused to take any action towards that direction. The unions intend to save 74 jobs in the chemical division and to obtain a maximum in terms of compensation for the other 247 layoffs in the pharmacy division.
Eurofound (2012), Laboratoire Merck Schering-Plough, Closure in France, factsheet number 72942, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/72942.