Is the internet becoming the new front line for disputes between unions and management?

It seems as though trade union disputes are being modernised- in the past disputes often involved angry workers huddled around braziers hurling abuse at management but strangely it seems the latest movement is to use the internet.

Britain’s biggest union, Unite, has launched a “cyber” assault on Marks and Sparks, to highlight what it is suggesting is exploitation of agency staff.

Unite cleverly placed an ad on Google so anyone searching for ‘Mark and Spencer’ today would be confronted by a message urging the user to “look behind the label”. This was carried out in conjunction with the more traditional approach.

“The power of the internet gives unions the potential to go beyond its membership and reach out directly to millions of people,” said Unite’s general secretary, Tony Woodley.
At least this was the theory. A quick Google search now reveals the unions protest message is not shown for a search for ‘Marks and Spencer’. Who knows, superbrand Marks and Spencer could well have been fighting back.

One plus side though, the slogan does appear when you search for the letters ‘M&S’.

Unite claims more than 9,000 people viewed their message – not quite the millions it had hoped for, but it’s a start, and an alternative to holding up placards daubed with ‘Honk if you hate M&S’.

Source: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/2008/02/ms_v_unions_in_a_virtual_battl.html