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.
Supermarket chain Unicoop Tirreno will initiate the previously announced plan for the reorganisation of its supermarkets stores on February, 15, 2019. The plan envisages closure of four shops and downsizing of three others in Southern Lazio, and will involve the dismissal of 135 workers.
Despite various meetings taking place between the company and workers' representatives, the dispute, started four months ago, has so far found no solution. The company proposes incentives up to €5,000 for workers accepting to be transferred to other stores and up to €20,000 for those who accept the termination of the employment relationship.
The reorganisation plan is considered "totally inadequate" by the trade unions, which point out that it tends to discharge the costs of the corporate crisis on workers , at the same time offering no guarantee from a management point of view. Filcams, Fisascat and Uiltucs, therefore, asked Unicoop Tirreno to check the economic conditions of the stores affected by closures and downsizing, in order to explore other ways to gradually bring the financial balance back in check.
Eurofound (2018), Unicoop Tirreno, Closure in Italy, factsheet number 96503, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/96503.