TITLE:
Digital Technology to Support the Trade Union Movement
AUTHORS:
Klaus Schoemann
KEYWORDS:
Digital Technology, Employee Participation, Democracy at Work, Digital Divide, Liquid Democracy, Data Protection
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
18,
2018
ABSTRACT: New digital technologies have a potential to bypass traditional forms of labour organization. We summarize the academic and trade union literature on the potential of new digital technologies for trade unions. Building on the literature of the social construction of technology and democracy at work we present the concept of the technology-supported construction of the social sphere. A review of digital technologies allows us to identify the potential innovator role of trade unions and work councils in digital forms of employee participation. Digital technologies are an important way to attract younger generations of trade union members. For experienced members, bridging the digital divide becomes a vital issue, too. Finally, we highlight the active interplay and mutually reinforcing effect of online and offline communication in networking.