This document discusses how unions can use new technologies like social media, blogs, and microblogging to organize members. It explains that Web 2.0 allows for more dynamic and participatory websites. Tools like Facebook, Twitter, and dedicated sites like Unionbook help improve communications between unions and members. While technology must be appropriate for the audience, free and open-source options exist for organizing even in areas with low internet access through text messaging. The document recommends unions embrace these new technologies to create more open and engaged structures.

1. Cyber Unions, Web 2.0
and Social Media
Using New Technology to Organise
NCELL Employers Trade Union Prakash Neupane
UNICTS
Dhuikhel
8-9 Dec 2012

2. CyberUnions
• Interaction between trade union and new
technology
• Favour horizontal rather than hierarchal organizing
• Started by Walton Pantland
• Other Activists are Stephen and Eduard

3. What is ‘Web 2.0’?
Web 1.0 static websites designed by professionals
Web 2.0 easy to edit, dynamic, participative

4. Why is this useful for unions?
Free, easy to use communications tools
Improves communications with reps and members
Gets the union message across to media and the rest of
the world
Enhances union democracy by keeping people informed
and engaged
Makes the union a more dynamic organisation

5. Tools
Social networks – Facebook, Unionbook, Ning
Microblogging – twitter, identica
Blogs, wikis and websites
Telecommunications
Countries with low Internet penetration

6. But first, an interesting trade
union campaign
IN 2007, the
union UNI-
Global held a
cyber picket in
the virtual
reality world,
Second Life,
against IBM.

7. Appropriate technology
No point setting up a
Technology must be
website for people
appropriate to the
who have no Internet
needs of the people
access
it serves
Simpler solutions are Cheap or free is good
usually better
Experiment widely – what
works for one group might not
work for others

8. Social Networks
The social network
that everyone is on –
including your boss
and your mother.
Useful for keeping in A social networking site for
touch, but major trade union activists.
privacy concerns.
Very useful for sharing
www.facebook.com ideas with activists in other
countries.
www.unionbook.org

9. Not really a social
network – more for
sharing news
Dynamic, real time
communication
Great for ‘crowdsourcing
ideas
Unique syntax:
‘@’ identifies a user – for
instance I am @leischa on
twitter
‘#’ makes a term
searchable by creating a
hashtag – e.g. #unions
‘RT’ means ‘retweet’, or
forward a message

10. My message
‘@’ replies

11. Most people use an app like Tweetdeck to follow twitter.
Tweetdeck is
dynamic, with
tweets rolling down
the screen like a
waterfall – or
twitterfall.
You can follow
different streams in
the different column

12. Some twitter campaigns & hashtags
#vestas
#vestas
#unions
#BAstrike
#Iloveimmigrants
#trafigura
#Nestle
#iranelection

13. Set up a simple branch website
Blogger.com
Create a basic Wordpress.com
website using free
tools
Yola.com
Wikidot.com

14. Register a custom Integrate Web 2.0
domain - $10 - $ 15 per tools to keep content
year, e.g. dynamic
www.yourunion.org
Create a custom email
address with Google
Apps, e.g.
info@yourunion.org
Most sites have
tutorials to show you
how to do this

15. Smart Phones
BlackBerry Android
iPhone
Allows you to access They are getting
Web 2.0 anywhere cheaper…

16. Telecommunications
Free software you can download
to your computer – allows you
to make free phone and video
calls to any other user in the
world.
Allows you to ‘stream’ live
video from a smart phone to
the Internet*
*Needs a fast Internet connection

17. Telecommunications
Free software you can
download to your mobile
VIBER/ allows you to make free phone
calls to any other user in the
Tango world.

18. Other useful tools
Online
surveymonkey.com
Surveys
Why not take my online survey, and tell
Easy to use, and me how you use technology in your union
allows you to find work?
out exactly what www.surveymonkey.com/s/cyberunions
matters to your
members
Used by Unite in recognition
campaigns

19. Other useful tools
Delicious.com integrates with your
browser and allows you to save, tag and
share interesting links online…
…you can export the links using RSS…
…and display them on your
branch website – along with
any other RSS feed.

20. What about countries with low
Internet penetration?

21. SMS – the Text Message
Mobile phones are ubiquitous in
Mobile phones are ubiquitous in
developing countries
developing countries
There are many examples of
activists using text messages – for
instance to monitor elections
Frontline
SMS is a
great tool

22. Frontline SMS is free
software that runs
on a PC hub and
collates information
sent by text
message.
The PC doesn’t need
an Internet
connection – it uses
ordinary mobile
networks to send
messages.

23. Why are so many tools free?
Most common business
model is ‘freemium’ –
basic account for free,
paid account with more
features
People who create free
and open source
The are lots of free tools for software are
union activists ideologically
committed to making
tools freely available
Go out there and experiment!

24. Free and Open Source Software
Operating systems Linux
…as well as free software that runs on any
system: Open Office, Scribus, Inkscape and
thousands more

25. Recommendations
Unions and their activists should make a
conscious decision to embrace new technology
Unions should train their reps and
members to use online tools
Reps should feel free to
experiment widely
We should accept that new technologies
will create more open, fluid and dynamic
union structures. This is a good thing.

26. Warning!
Privacy: there is no such Expect glitches – hardware
thing as online privacy. If and software failure is
you don’t want people to common. Batteries run
know, don’t post it! out, or there is no WiFi or
3G signal.
“Facebook helps you Incompatibility – there are
connect and share with still no standard file
the people in your life - formats
Whether you want to or
State and corporate
not.”
www.youropenbook.org control – we need to
defend the freedom of
cyberspace

27. What’s next?
the ‘semantic’ web: knows who
Web 3.0 you are and responds intelligently, showing
you the content you are most interested in
Machine acting and thinking as a human
A.I Finding the patterns and behaviours - mining

29. Reference
1. Cyberunions.com
2. Slideshare.com/cyberunions
3. uniglobalunion.org
Special Thanks
Walton Pantland
Glasgow, Scotland
waltonp@gmail.com
http://cyberunions.org

30. Thanks for your time
Prakash Neupane
Executive Member, UNICTS
Facebook: nprksh
Twitter: @nprkshn
nprkshn@gmail.com
www.prakashneupane.com