Introduction to the Special Issue ‐ The internet, social media and trade union revitalization: Still behind the digital curve or catching up?

Abstract

This article introduces the special issue of New Technology, Work and Employment titled “The Internet, Social Media and Trade Union Revitalization: Still Behind the Digital Curve or Catching Up?” The objectives of this special issue are threefold. First, to develop an analytical framework that can help researchers assess the role that internal and external factors play in mediating the nature and scope of union experimentation with new information and communication technologies (ICTs) and its contribution to the outcomes of revitalisation. Second, to present methods and concepts that are new to this area of research. Third, to generate empirical insight into how the various actors that constitute the trade union movement (e.g. worker councils, union confederations, trade unions, and union‐led coalitions) can and are using the internet, social media and artificial intelligence as a means of revitalisation. Taken together the geographical scope of the articles range from single‐country cases studies in Germany, the UK and Canada, to a cross‐national case study in Australia and the USA, and a comparative study across Europe. In terms of ICTs, attention is given to websites, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and an AI chatbot.

Engaging with social media in a context of fragmentation and change: Chilean unions' use of the Internet and social media

“…With the new technological landscape, a rather novel strategy has been discussed in the literature through which trade unions organise workers, broaden their impact and enhance representation (Geelan and Hodder, 2017;Greer, 2002;Wood, 2015). Such platforms aid trade unions by enhancing connectivity between members and their leaders, thus enhancing participation and communication, solidifying union democracy and supporting transnational solidarity (Geelan, 2013(Geelan, , 2021Mart ınez-Lucio, 2003). These studies represent the first strand of the literature on Internet technologies and trade unions with a rather positive approach: arguing for the democratic emancipatory potential of Internet technologies for unions (Hogan and Greene, 2002;Greene et al, 2003).…”

Defending workers' rights on social media: Chinese seafarers during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…To fight for workers' rights and advance their causes more effectively, trade unions and other labour organisations around the world have set up websites and established a presence on social media platforms (Panagiotopoulos & Barnett, 2015 ). In the context that trade union memberships have been declining over the past few decades, it is argued that the Internet carries the potential to revitalise trade unionism and is instrumental in helping unions disseminate information (Hennebert et al, 2021 ), raise awareness of labour issues (Bergman, 2016 ; Geelan & Hodder, 2017 ), reach out to potential members and allies (Hennebert et al, 2021 ; Wood, 2015 ), organise and run campaigns (Hennebert et al, 2021 ; Pasquier et al, 2020 ; Wood, 2015 ), and seek and strengthen international cooperation and solidarity (Dahlberg‐Grundberg et al, 2016 ; Geelan, 2021 ; Geelan & Hodder, 2017 ).…”

“…This paper explores the power dynamics in the process of seafarers' labour rights defence activities and shows that for such activities to be effective, both traditional forms of power and the new forms of power afforded by social networks are crucial. Because the usage of social media in workers' rights defence is socially mediated (Geelan, 2021 ), I discuss the wider context of this study next.…”

The combustible mix of coalitional and discursive power: British trade unions, social media and the People's Assembly Against Austerity

“…The debate on how the trade union movement is engaging with new ICTs to rebuild and exercise power has become the central focus of a small but growing strand of the revitalisation literature (for an encompassing overview see Geelan, 2021). Broadly speaking, the relationship between trade union power and ICTs can be characterised as being dialectical .…”