Opening up to emerging technologies

Eric Lee...looking to the future of communications.

Federation is looking to expand its methods of communication to engage all members.

By Kerri Carr

Unions have to be open to new ways of communicating, LabourStart founding editor Eric Lee told Federation's Annual Conference on July 7.

LabourStart is an international campaigning website reporting on workers' struggles and victories.

Mr Lee said there was a generation of young people who don't use email.

"They're connected to the 'net, they may be online all day long - they don't use email, they use alternatives to email."

"Unions need to talk to members and workers where they actually are, not where you would like them to be," he said.

"It means that you don't create a website and hope that they come - they won't come. It means reaching them not through desktop computers where they might be at for part of their day, if ever. It means reaching them through their mobile phones.

"Mobile phones have become more and more central.

"It means group instant messaging - it means being able to reach vast numbers of people simultaneously at no cost."

He said this was possible through a number of web services that have come online in the past two years, including Twitter.

"There are many advantages to mobile phones other than speed and cost. One of them is the employer has no control over what your members see on their mobile phones," Mr Lee said.

"Your employer can shut you down from the internet, your employer can close down workplaces and have lockouts, an employer can put web filters on to block union campaigning websites but an employer cannot stop workers from looking at their mobile phones, so it's a vital tool."

Federation's Annual Conference accepted Mr Lee's message about expanding methods of communication, passing a resolution that determined Federation would develop new online forums, such as interactive blogs and social networking sites to encourage discussion and the participation of members around issues and campaigns; and continue to develop its SMS network for Associations and campaign groups to take advantage of the number of members whose primary form of communications is via their mobile phone.

Federation is to encourage and assist members to create their own 'Federation' cyber-campaigns using the plethora of free-websites, blog-sites and social-networking sites.

The union will research and develop ways in which Sky Channel meetings can be seen live by all members, with particular focus on teachers in remote and isolated areas and Federation is to initiate the formation of an Australian union web-portal site to replace Workers Online.

Federation will continue to collect and update all of its members' email addresses and create the necessary email lists of members to campaign effectively.

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Last Modified: 07 Aug 2008