[Air-L] First e-strike?

[George Floros]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/24/ibm_italy_strike/

IBM faces Second Life strike
By Martin Banks

Ever wanted to go on strike, be part of that feeling of solidarity on 
the picket line, but felt too cowardly to take the risk? September 
should see just the opportunity for you.

That is when Rappresentanza Sindacale Unitaria IBM Vimercate (RSU), the 
official trade union representing IBM's 9,000 workers in Italy, is 
planning a most novel form of industrial action -- a strike on Second 
Life -- and it wants as many avatars as possible manning the picket lines.

Details of what form the industrial action will take in this virtual 
world are scant at the moment, except that a Union spokesman has hinted 
that they are hoping Second Life avatars from around the world will 
participate.

A statement sent to The Register by the RSU sets out the reasons for the 
industrial action as follows:

It seems that the reasons for this first virtual strike are related to 
the renew of the internal agreement. While IBM is one of the company 
with major profits, its employees are receiving very few fruits of this 
big mountain of money.

The internal climate is below all the IT industries (taking advantages 
for the famous IBM's competitor: HP), and the drop that overflowed the 
glass is the long and inconclusive negotiation for the internal 
agreement. While the works council, supported by the majority of IBM 
Italy employees, was asking for a small salary increase, IBM responded 
with the complete suppression of the "productive results benefit", with 
a loss for a single employee of €1000 per year. For a company that wants 
to lead the corporate social responsibility, this is really too much.

IBM has a widely reported presence on Second Life which is now set to 
face, at the very least, a picket line of characters that come straight 
out of the darker recesses of wild imaginings.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out should the strike take 
place. The RSU is obviously hopeful that IBM's local management will see 
things its way, and the action does raise some interesting 
considerations. Second Life is already being seen by many corporations 
as a good marketing and merchandising tool, but the union is seeing its 
potential slightly differently.

"The high offices of the company are worried, because this action will 
turn on the lights on the project of creation of a global union 
alliance, that is engaging the unions from over 16 countries worldwide, 
including the new IT boundary: India," the statement said.

What can be used to motivate people to buy products or services can, 
just as easily, be used to inform and motivate workers in a global 
economy that they can take global collective action. They could even 
test out industrial action tactics in relative safety. It could be a 
tantalising prospect for a committed union activist. It will be 
interesting to see what actual impact the virtual industrial action has 
in the real world, and how IBM handles it.

UK Second Lifers with long memories may also be keeping a wary eye open 
for an appearance by the ultimate avatar for such situations -- The Iron 
Lady of Orgreave.