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.
Husqvarna, a global manufacturer of motorcycles, is to delocalise the production of motorcycles from its plant of Cassinetta di Biandronno (in the province of Varese) to a plant located in Austria. Around 212 workers (out of 240) employed in the production units of the Cassinetta di Biandronno plant will lose their job.
The company has announced the recourse to Wage Guarantee Fund (WGF) schemes in order to reduce the negative social and economic effects of job losses. The trade unions reacted to the company’s decision by requesting the involvement of local and national authorities in order to find alternative solutions to the delocalisation process.
In early 2013, Pierer Industrie, owner of Ktm, took over Husqvarna motorcycles’ production from BMW.
Eurofound (2013), Husqvarna, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Italy, factsheet number 75399, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/75399.