POSTSCRIPT

CHILD ABUSE | INTERNET

Net Work
The global growth in internet-based labour
activism augurs well for a new social and political
paradigm built around the digital space for
negotiation and bargaining.
Mrinmoy Majumder

f late, trade unions and labour activists have been

quick to latch onto new technology-based communication and advocacy, particularly via the internet and
mobile phone-based GPRS services. One of the first incidents
of internet-based labour activism reported from India dates to
2010 and involves Viva Global, an outsourcing unit of the major
British multinational retailer Marks & Spencer, whose workers
rose up in arms to protest against
The internet can
non-payment of the prescribed
also be used to
minimum wages and the burden of
bring together
long working hours. During that
employers, trade
time, numerous blogs, websites and
unions and the
social media updates reported on
state authorities
the issue with near-daily regularity.
to discuss
Globally, among the first few popissues affecting
ular internet-based campaigns of
each other
activism was the Carnival Against
Capital which started on 18 June 1999 when labour activists,
environmentalists, feminists and anarchists demonstrated
around the world against the policies and prescriptions of the
World Trade Organization (WTO). Solidarity was sought to be
built around social justice and an anti-neoliberal agenda.
On the other side of the ramparts are organisations like
the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Women in
Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)
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Economic & Political Weekly

POSTSCRIPT
INTERNET | TRIBUTE

who employed the tools of the internet to disseminate information pertaining to labour standards and human rights, and
policies to promote decent and fair work practices. Other groups
have also proactively utilised the internet; one example is the
labour research organisation Wage Indicator (www.wageindicator.org), which started an online campaign in 74 countries aiming to bring about transparency in wage structures.
The arrival of modern technologies has not only altered
our notions of larger social and political issues but has also,
to a certain degree, thrown up a new level playing field for
workers, their employers and the state.
Todays working class exists in a time of trending
on Twitter and liking on Facebook, even though not all
working class groups have access to the internet or new ICT
(information and communications technology). Nonetheless, it is not possible to ignore the potential of the internet to
alter, or at least question, the traditional dominant perspective and all that with the minimum of investment in
resources or infrastructure. Any worker or a representative
can today easily upload to discussion groups on the internet a
tract or a write-up that can then be forwarded to other interest groups, irrespective of their geographic boundaries, thus
building solidarity in the least amount of time.
Labour activism on the internet need not be seen as a
classical capital-labour contest. The internet can also be
used to bring together employers, trade unions and the state

Economic & Political Weekly

EPW

january 24, 2015

vol l no 4

authorities to discuss issues affecting each other. All the

stakeholders can leverage the internet to work together in
a harmonious environment. With a growing digital space
for negotiation and bargaining, a new social and political
paradigm can be constructed.
Mrinmoy Majumder (mrinmoy@gim.ac.in) is a senior lecturer at the Goa Institute of
Management, Sanquelim Campus, Poriem, Sattari, Goa.

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