The labour movement and Web 2.0

If you are interested in a very interesting and detailed discussion of how Web 2.0 can play a part in social movements, such as the labour movement, you certainly wouldn't be doing yourself any harm by consulting the following article:

Social Movements 2.0 courtesy of Global Labor Strategies.

Issues discussed include:

- Virtual strikes
- Social networking sites as organising tools
- Creating solidarity
- Having on-line or virtual meetings
- Workers distributing their own version of events

The article ends with a review of 'what we don't know' about the effects of Web 2.0 on the social movements.

These include:

- What does it mean if workers begin organizing on their own outside and without the help of traditional organizations?
- It's easy and cheap for organizations to bring people together into a swarm but what do you do with them then?
- Will unions and social movement organizations be willing to cede control as workers use social networking tools to channel their own activities?
- How do labor and social movement organizations address the dangers associated with online action?
- How do we track the demographics of who's online and who's not and what tools they are using?
- How do we present complex ideas online?
- How does offline and online social movement building fit together?

Should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in the future of the labour movement.