INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

MAYDAY EVENTS REAL AND VIRTUAL:

Tomorrow is Mayday, the premiere event in the labour calender. Molly has blogged quite a bit about this day, both this year and last (see our archives for April and May 2007). This year make sure to check in with the Labour Start website to see what unions across the world are doing this time around. But also- for something totally different- unions in several countries are using this MayDay to launch the 'Union island' is the virtual world of Second Life. Yes, that's right. After the success last year of the "virtual strike" (protest actually) against IBM , using the Second Life platform various union activists are hoping to develop this tool of working class struggle. See the site http://www.slunionisland.org for more details. now Molly has her doubts about this sort of thing, but maybe she is just old-fashioned. In any case, here is the press release about this project.

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Press release: Virtual May Day
1 May 2008 sees the launch of Union Island, an innovative new trade union project to build a home for unions and activists in the virtual world Second Life™.

Union Island will open with a virtual May Day, a day of training, networking and celebration, to bring activists from the global union movement together in a way never before possible.

Events planned for the day include:

*Celebrating May Day with a dance party, hosted by a live DJ from Second Life’s club Fracture.
*Training for activists in how to get more out of Second Life through networking with others and designing their own 3D creations, and how to run better websites for their unions.
*A photo and video exhibition for the DGB’s Mindestlohn campaign for a national minimum wage in Germany. May Day sees the culmination of a exhibition tour of Germany, and German unionists will be on hand at a Second Life replica of the real life touring set, to discuss the tour and campaign online with supporters from around Germany.
*Themed surgeries for union organisers in Union Island’s virtual bar, swapping practical tips from around the world over a pint of virtual beer from the UK Workers’ Beer Company.
*Guided gallery tours of “5 Photographers”, a virtual art exhibition of 20th century New York photography, presented by American arts group Labour Arts Inc.

Union Island plans to use Second Life to create a community for unionists, which will let activists from around the world meet and work together on shared issues in the global economy. The project also aims to use the virtual world to present union campaigns to a new audience, and enable a new generation of online activists to have more input into union activities.

TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: ”Trade unions are all about people working together to improve things for themselves and others, and internet networks offer a powerful and cost-effective way for us to forge new links. As more businesses embrace virtual worlds such as Second Life to foster international networking and collaboration, it will be natural to find unions there too.”

UNI Global Union General Secretary Philip Jennings said: “UNI Global Union’s member unions around the world are constantly innovating, to show their relevance to today’s members and tomorrow’s potential members.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
*Second Life is an interactive 3D environment used by millions of people around the world (as well as thousands of companies and organisations) to chat, network, create, conduct business or play games. www.secondlife.com
*Union Island is a joint project of the TUC, UNI Global Union and the New Unionism Network, supported by unions from the UK, Germany and Italy.
*You can find a full programme of events for virtual May Day, as well as more information on the project and a direct link to Union Island at www.slunionisland.org
*Contact for further information: instant message to Unionisland Republic (Union Island spokesperson in Second Life)

DEMONSTRATIONS (VIRTUAL):

IBM- FROM VIRTUAL STRIKE TO VIRTUAL DEMONSTRATION:

After the (actual) success of last fall's "virtual picket line" in support of Italian IBM workers the employees involved have decided to extend the range of their activities at IBM's site on the virtual world 'Second Life'. this time they are protesting the IBM practice of outsourcing, cheap and easy way to drive down wages via increased job insecurity. See later for the statement of what the protest is all about. There is a training session tonight at http://www.union-network.org/uniwebmasters.nsf/sl?openpage for those new to the whole concept of the Second Life world. The actual demonstration at the site occurs tomorrow night. Here's what it's all about. For more information go to http://ibmslprotest.blogspot.com .

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27/03/2008 IBM GLOBAL DEMONSTRATION
AGAINST GLOBAL JOBS OUTSOURCING
Global decisions from companies need Global action and response from employees. We saw that with the virtual strike and now we can do it with a virtual demonstration. The national unions, works councils and IWIS (IBM Workers International Solidarity) global network are organizing a global virtual demonstration against the outsourcing contract.

IBM is misusing outsourcing contracts to reduce the workforce in a cheap way. In this kind of contract, IBM is selling not only services and machines but also people. We can see that recently in the IBM NSD to AT&T contract and Printing Systems/ PSD maintenance to RICOH as well as other outsourcing deals.

IBM employees from Network Service Delivery are against forced outsourcing to AT&T and request negotiations right now!

AT&T market-share and competition in the European market and the past experience with this Telco provider leads to the conclusion that there is a high risk of job loss for the IBM jobs that will be transferred.

Therefore we, the International Unions at IBM, ask with 'One Global Voice' for IBM management to open negotiations immediately in countries and offer employees 'in scope' other options: voluntary-based transfers, guarantee of employment in the new company with a return ticket to IBM in case of failure within contract duration (5 years). Other options could be envisioned.

Different actions have taken place in different countries, demonstration, strikes, petitions online (535+ signatures collected), etc… over the past months. All of them are showing the large concern of the employees and their frustration and anger.

All unions clearly request IBM management to review this decision and to adjust it, taking into account respect for the employees as a person and recognize the need for job security on.
We are against forced jobs outsourcing to AT&T, RICOH, and future ones, and officially request win-win negotiations about job transfer terms and conditions, in the different countries, urgently!
On March 26, 2008 - IWIS (IBM Workers International Solidarity)

ITALY AND SECOND LIFE:

REAL VICTORY FOR VIRTUAL STRIKE:

The workers of IBM Italy have won a great victory following the "virtual strike" at IBM's presence on the cyberworld 'Second Life' last September 27th. (see previous articles here at Molly's Blog). The following is the statement from the people who coordinated the action at Second Life. It has been edited slightly for grammar. From http://www.uniglobalunion.org/SecondLife :

"One month after a virtual protest staged in Second Life with almost 2,000 avatars demonstrating on the IBM islands a new contract with IBM Italy has been signed.

The new agreement, which still needs to be approved by the IBM Italy workforce, reinstates the performance bonus that was cut unilaterally by IBM management.

The agreement signed by IBM Italy and the trade union Rappresentanze Sindacali Unitarie (RSU) not only includes the performance bonuses from 2007 up until 2010 but also payments by IBM into a national health insurance fund. It also states that negotiations will continue with respect to IBM industrial and business strategies in Italy and the improvement of internal communication policies.

The situation abruptly improved and negotiations after the former country manager left IBM in the middle of October. He was responsible for the pay cuts in the first place. His departure cleared the air and facilitated constructive negotiations between social partners as could be expected from the professional management of a high-tech company.

The virtual demonstration organized on September 27 for a whole day certainly had an impact on this positive development. Almost 2,000 virtual protesters from 30 countries populated the IBM presence in Second Life and solicited an unprecedented media echo from all over the world, including TV and radio stations, daily newspapers, computer and business magazines. The virtual protest had been supported by global unions such as the International and European Metalworkers Federations (IMF and EMF) and UniGlobal Union.

The threat of strike action in the real world by the Italian unions after the virtual protest also certainly helped to break the deadlock. yet the impact of this historic action in second Life must not be underestimated."

ITALY/INTERNET

VIRTUAL STRIKE VERSION 2.0:

The initial actions at the Second Life site of a "virtual strike" against IBM, and their attempts to roll back compensation for their Italian employees were a success. Close to 1,900 people from over 30 different countries took part on the virtual picket line at IBM's presence on Second Life. Yet IBM remains intransigent. They refuse to return to the negotiating table. So it's time to ramp up the action. Supporters of the Italian workers are asking your opinion on what should be done. They will be gathering ideas until October 15th, and you can make your suggestion as to what the next stage should be at http://www.unionglobal.org/secondlife . If you haven't signed the online petition asking IBM's management to be reasonable sign up now at http://www.union-network.org/unlindep.nsf/ProtestIBMSL-en?openforum

SECOND LIFE:

VIRTUAL STRIKE AGAINST IBM IN SECOND LIFE BEGINS TOMORROW:

The" virtual strike" called by employees of IBM in Italy is on for tomorrow.

After a flurry of media attention the first "strike in Second Life" will be held tomorrow. For more information on the protest go to http://www.uniglobalunion.org/secondlife . If you haven't signed up your avatar already this website will give you instructions on how to do it. The protest/demonstration/strike will take place over the course of 12 hours and has the support of IBM employees in over 18 countries. Sounds like a wild time. See past articles on this event here on Molly's Blog. Hundreds of supporters of the Italian IBM workers have already signed up for the event. Sounds like a hot time.

MORE ON THE VIRTUAL STRIKE AGAINST IBM-ITALIA:

As reported earlier on Molly's Blog (see August 28th, 'The World's First Virtual Strike') workers employed by IBM in Italy are planning to go ahead with their "virtual strike" against the IBM presense on the virtual world 'Second Life'. These workers are hoping that supporters from around the world will join them on their virtual picket line at IBM's presense on Second Life. There's a guide available for those who would like to sign up, including instructions for those unfamiliar with the whole concept of Second Life. See http://www.union-network.org/uniwebmasters.nsf/slibm?openforum .

The strike appears to be going ahaed as IBM hasn't backed down from its position of "non-virtual" wage cuts. For more information on this strike see the above link or articles such as Martin Bank's 'IBM Faces Second Life Strike' in The Register and 'Avatars of the World Unite' by Derek Blackadder in Straight Goods.

WEIRD STUFF...

COMING SOON TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU...

THE WORLD'S FIRST VIRTUAL STRIKE:

Second Life, the bizarre online world where you can live again in whatever form you may choose, has expanded by leaps and bounds in the past few years. According to the website it now has 9,143,091 "residents", more than many countries. (Molly found only 1,598,598 logged in in the last 60 days when she visited her ghostly presence on the site, and only 40,755 on line at the time of the visit. Perhaps the company is playing with totals that obviously include many who have visited and found the vicarious experience wanting- never to return) Second Life supports an actual economy which is convertible into US dollars in the real world. The company claims that millions of US dollars (expressed as 'Linden Dollars' in the simulation) pass through its marketplace every month. There are several online exchanges in the world where US money and Linden money can be converted each to each.

Whatever this may seem like to the taxman many companies have seen Second Life as a wonderful marketing opportunity and have established online presences there. One of these is IBM, and sometime this September the Italian employees of IBM , represented by the Rappresentanza Sindicale Unitaria IBM Vimercate (RSU) are planning a "virtual strike" at the IBM presence on Second Life. The union representing about 9,000 IBM employees in Italy is keeping the exact details of the strike under wraps for now, except for the fact that they have extended an invitation for Second Life avatars from around the world to join them on the "virtual picket line". The mind boggles at what sort of representations will show up.

While the profits of IBM have soared the company has been most reluctant to share any of its windfall with its employees. When its Italian workers asked for a small salary increase in the latest round of negotiations IBM responded with an "offer" that would have meant a drop of about 1,000 euros per year per worker. The Italian workers are hoping that their actions will gain publicity for a world wide effort to build a multi-union coalition of IBM employees from over 16 countries.

To read more about this strike see the article in 'The Register' at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/24/ibm_italy_strike/print.html

The matter has also been discussed over at the LibCom site under their news section.

Molly is more than slightly leery (more,more,more,more) of the whole idea behind the ersatz life being sold by Second Life. Still, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.