COMMUNICATION AND TRADE UNION MOVEMENT
By: José Gómez Cerda General Secretary of WFAFW/FEMTAA
The modern trade union movement must adapt to the life of today. One of the most important changes that we can see at the beginning of the 3rd millennium is that of electronic communications.
This new form of communication changes the form of relationships and contacts between people and organisations.
Nowadays millions of people, organisations and institutions communicate with the help of electronic mail.
These can be normal letters, official documents, memos, summonses or other types of information.
We too would like to use this means of communication for trade union education and training. Seen from a historical point of view, the trade union movement has manifested itself by means of mass meeting, demonstrations, public protests, accusations ant other means of expression, where the joining together of many people is the means for demonstrating the solidarity and unity of the workers. However, in recent years these public events have become ever fewer.
The first of May ( Day of Work ) is no longer the day when workers take part in mass marches, although many organisations do carry event on this day.
Nowadays solidarity and unity have a new medium at their disposal which we should use: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS…which never and in no way will be able to replace human warmth and personal relationships, but which still may be able to fill a gap which exists at present.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS:
A. Toffler has said:
“The element which is changing the balance of power in the world is the combination of new information technologies ( computers, telephones, modems, satellites), which are becoming more and more accessible and which are becoming true electronic highways”
Telecommunications, meaning the linking of telephone, television and computers, is a new science that trade union leaders should know and get to know.
It is not a question of understanding the complicate technical aspects but of knowing how to use telecommunications so that we can communicate with each other more effectively.
At present a great transformation is taking place within communications technology, when a PC in linked to a television set and a mobile phone and opens a wide range of possibilities that people have not seen up to now.
Many trade unions leaders in many different locations in the world can combine forces in order to exchange ideas, information and documents and even to take join decisions.
Now it is possible to create publications and send them by e-mail ( WFAFW-FEMTAA and WCL-CMT use this medium in order to distribute their newsletters).
It is also possible to send photographs, insert special effects and make purchases. Soon, international and national organisations will be able to carry out their assemblies ( which are at present very costly and time-consuming), with the help of electronic media at astonishing speed and at low expense.
We workers often think that we are alone, that we are isolated and that only we have problems.
AN ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE consists of several independent computers that link up with each other electronically at a certain time in order to enable discussion of common themes by their users.
Three factors play a role within such communications:
The sender, the information and the recipient.
The advantage is that it is possible to react immediately, communicate ideas and at the same time receive answers and suggestions.
Computers make it possible for us to create files and store information that can be useful during wage negotiations, for the writing of documents and for learning.
These new technologies can by a useful tool trade union work. When we learn to deal with the rationally, we will be able to use these modern technologies better and more efficiently.
A national or international trade union leader should take at least 30 minutes or one hour per day for his digital communications ( both for receiving and sending information) .
This does not constitute unnecessary bureaucracy, but is a real part of his trade union work. Modern trade union work consists 33 % of action; 33 % of connections, relationships and study; and 33 % of communication.
The initiative of WFAFW/ FEMTAA is holding digital conferences and virtual seminars an maintaining its own website to serve the trade union movement has various different aims:
1.- To prove that the new communications technologies are appropriate, useful and necessary for trade union movement.
2.- Not to talk about the technical aspects, but to use the technology.
3.- To give different trade union leaders the opportunity of experiencing a demonstration of this new communication system.
4.- To prove that the trade union movement can adapt to the modem way of life without losing sight of our aims in defending and representing working people.
5.- To develop mechanisms which can be a useful for relationships and education of trade unionists who participate in WFAFW-FEMTAA.
The greatest difficulties facing us are:
a) These systems are not yet available to the majority of working people nor to all trade Union organisations. In many cases this is because of a lack of financial resources, but above all it is because trade union leaders have not yet understood the importance of electronic communications.
b) The most important area of work for the WFAFW/FEMTAA at present is work Being carried out in countryside regions.
On a national level, none of our member organisations has its own computer with internet access. Generally the e-mail address of the national movements to whom they belong is used.
But we do not have any internal communications and often the information stays within the national movements which have their headquarters in the towns, but the agricultural leaders are located in the country.
Internal information flow and solidarity must improve here. Because of this state affairs we ask the organisations who have internet access to distribute the ideas, documents and subject matter of the electronic conferences along with the WFAFW/FEMTAA webside to those who are directly affected by the subjects which are will deal with.
These are above all agricultural, food, hotel and tourist workers’ organisations. http://www.cmt-wcl.org/femtaa
It lies within our sphere of responsibility to make relations within the trade unions more efficient through the use of these new methods of communication and to begin with ourselves.
It is recommended to use the internet and electronic mail in a sensible way, which will lead to a reduction in costs and time expenditure and to more effective communication.
One of the most dynamic area of the trade union movement is the YOUTH. Young people can identify more easily with the trade union movement using electronic communication and above all through the internet and they can become more active and work more efficiently.
Finally we hope that this experience will be lead to an improvement in the quality of training and communications between people and organisations and that above all it will be benefit to the trade union movement as a whole. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
REPORT THE EVENTS HELD BY WFAFW/FEMTAA REGARDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS AND THE INTERNET.
In the year 2000, WFAFW/FEMTAA has held various events among trade union organisations in connection with electronic communications.
1.- In February 2000 we held an ELECTRONICO CONFERENCE.
This Conference was a Seminar dealing with the areas of agriculture and tourism.
The most important leaders included the Director General of the I.L.O, Juan Somavía; the General Secretary of the WCL, Willy Thys, the President of the Action Professional, Jacques Jouret,; the General Secretary of CLAT, Emilio Máspero ( who Died recently), the Director of UTAL, Rodolfo Romero, the General Secretary of WFAFW/FEMTAA, José Gómez Cerda, Eduardo Estevez, of WCL; a specialists delegate from I.L.O , FAO and others.
1,245 people and institutions took part. Among these were participant from almost all the countries of Latin America, the USA and Europe. The conference was held in Spanish.
It was a good experience, as we used the new technologies within the trade union Movement.
We did know that was so much interest in such events.
ADVANTAGES:
It is a quick and reasonably-price method that encourages participation.
All leaders have to type in their presentations.
There in no improvisation.
An international conference can take place with over 1.000 participants without Costs for transport, accommodation and restaurant expenses.
In addition, it is possible to take part from one’ own office or from home.
DISADVANTAGES:
There is not experience of human warmth that is so important at such events.
2.- As from September 2000 we will have our own website: http://www.cmt-wcl.org/femtaa
We have written the contents of the site ourselves.
It can be read in three languages ( English, Spanish, French). There are various sections dealing with subjects which are particularly important for our organisation.
EXPERIENCES:
Apart from maintaining constant contact with our member organisations, we keep in touch with other social and political bodies, NGOs, etc.
Other organisations publicise parts of our material. A great many university professors, students and universities write to us about the contents of our webpages.
This applies particularly to trade union-related subjects, our publications and the documents dealing with genetically.
Both the use of electronic communications and our own presentation on the internet were very important experiences for WFAFW/FEMTAA.
José Gómez Cerda
General Secretary WFAFW/FEMTAA
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