Italian Tech Union calls for 'virtual strike' against IBM in Second Life
Aug 24 2007
Quote:
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.
I guess the idea is to get mass pickets of IBM infrastructure in second life, in/during which interested workers will be able to fraternise? That's about as clear as I can get it. Bit crazy. The new workerism? Good old innovative Italians. Is this Alex Foti's idea?
si.
The RSU statement in full:
Quote:
FIRST VIRTUAL STRIKE ON "SECOND LIFE"
The people of Second Life is moving to defend IBM employees rights.
It is announced as the first "virtual strike", the first online demonstration in the famous virtual world of Second Life.
And it will involve in September one of the biggest worldwide corporation: IBM.
The unions are mantaining the silence on the organization of this event, but we believe that the effects will be really impressive.
IBM is a globally integrated company with over 300000 workers worldwide, and since many months is pushing the mass-media with a strong campaign based on the innovation.
The italian IBM employees should have well understood the concept: at the "old-factory-style strike", they are substituting the new "virtual strike".
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 workscouncil, 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 euros per year.
For a company that wants to lead the corporate social responsibility, this is really too much.
So this is the reason for the innovative virtual demonstration, the first in absolute in the Second Life world.
The high offices of the company are worried..cause 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.
IBM will succeed to avoid this explosive initiative of its "too much innovative" employees ?
Investors and stakeholders hope so...
Aug 24 2007
#2
Quote:
its employees are receiving very few fruits of this big mountain of money.
Mountain... fruit?
Aug 25 2007
#3
Quote:
the first online demonstration in the famous virtual world of Second Life.
Wasn't there one against the G8 or something a while back? And there's definately been at least 1 against the French National Front.
Edit: First, second or third demo on Second Life, its still a fucking stupid idea.
Aug 25 2007
#4
revol68 wrote:
I can never work out if he's plain fucking mental or using a really really bad translator.
Looks like a bad translation to me.
Aug 25 2007
#5
Er, what's Second Life?
Aug 26 2007
#6
An online "world" where each person "playing" has a character, and can interact with others, and use real money (changed into Second Life money) to buy things like virtual land or a bigger virtual penis.
A bunch of corporations have bought virtual shops as an advertising gimmick - for instance, one of the big jeans manufacturers has a shop on SL, where you can buy their branded jeans for your character (and I think you get a discount on real life jeans too).
I've never played - that just comes from newspaper articles I've read about it (it's the "next generation MySpace, y'hear?") so maybe someone that has played it can explain better....
edit: There have already been a few demos on SL, for instance:
Against the French National Front.
Against (virtual?) fur.
Against war with Iran.
Aug 26 2007
#7
The two notable things about it are as Asher said the presence of real life companies on there (also Universities in the US are buying islands and there's publically funded virtual library projects etc.).
Also that there's an exchange rate with the real world, so you can cash out second life money into dollars if you make enough - there's people that play it full time and live off it (as landowners iirc).
Aug 26 2007
#8
catch wrote:
there's people that play it full time and live off it (as landowners iirc).
Oh yeah, I forgot about that - also people who design houses, and new skins for your character to wear etc etc (for people without the skills to create them themselves) - I read about one guy who designs "sexy" skins (ie - guys with 6 packs and muscles, women with huge tits) and sells them for big "virtual" dollars which he converts to real money and lives off.
Aug 26 2007
#9
Baudrillard must be wanking himself into a frenzy in his grave over this shit!
Aug 26 2007
#10
Exactly what I was thinking. I think it sounds like hell.
Aug 28 2007
#11
Hi all,
I read all your comments...very interesting.
But our action is a serious initiative.
It's a BIG pacific strike to show that there are problems inside our company and we want to help to solve them.
Nothing more, we are fighting for our rights...is this a crime or a bad action ?
we are building important rights for all our employees, we are not playing as child with strikes just to have fun.
In the last years our union obtained many collective agreements to defend pensions, healthcare, factory dismissals. We are now trying to get something more to protect our job.
I think you're intelligent and you can understand the reason for this serious demonstration, and sustain (if you want, it's very important for us) the requests of the national collective bargaining in IBM.
This is solidarity, very common not only in Europe between workers and countries.
(see http://iwis.ibm.free.fr/)
We are trying to build a future for the employees, for the subsidiarian company, with respect of their professionality. This is a battle we want to win.
bye and thanks to all your understanding.
for more information, please contact
info@rsuibmvimercate.it
or visit:
www.rsuibmvimercate.it
Aug 28 2007
#12
Hi RSU IBM.
I'm not clear from your post - do you consider the Second Life action to be an actual strike? Do you think it makes sense to do this in the absence of a real life strike by workers at the company?
Aug 28 2007
#13
This makes sense as a propaganda/agitational stunt. It's obviously no replacement for an all-out strike, but it's damn clever for what it is.
Come to think of it, it might even be considered a form of direct action if they're doing it on company time 
Aug 29 2007
#14
Have you tried contacting Second Life Left Unity?
Sep 6 2007
#15
I put together a little piece on the potential of this new tactic here:
http://www.straightgoods.ca/ViewFeature7.cfm?REF=443
You can sign up to receive an e-mail when the date and time for the picket are set and learn how to use Second Life by visiting a site set up by UNI, the global union federation for the service industries at:
http://www.union-network.org/uniwebmasters.nsf/slibm?openform
Sep 10 2007
#16
Or alternatively, actually do something productive in real life, not on some shite internet game for losers with no friends.
Sep 11 2007
#17
Makhno wrote:
Or alternatively, actually do something productive in real life, not on some shite internet game for losers with no friends.
Joseph K. is going to ban you.
Sep 11 2007
#18
eh? i've got a first life thanks. now i'm off to skive on facebook...
I can never work out if he's plain fucking mental or using a really really bad translator.