Increasing trade union use of the internet

The internet is becoming more important in Norwegian working life, and a June 1999 survey indicates that approximately two-thirds of all members of the LO trade union confederation have access to the Internet. Most LO members, however, still regard traditional union journals as the most important channels for information about trade union activity.

The internet and world-wide web are becoming increasingly important in Norwegian working life, and social partner organisations are also taking advantage of new technology in their organisational activity - partly in order to improve communication between members and representatives and partly to inform society at large about their activity. Most Norwegian trade unions and employers' organisations have developed their own websites. Although the quality and ambitions of website information vary, there is a general tendency towards increased utilisation of the internet and web as a channel for communication and information exchange. As such, members and non-members alike are being given the opportunity to keep up to date with developments in wage negotiations, further and continuing education, and other important work-related issues and activities. The internet is also becoming more important in the internal activity of social partner organisations, for example to train and educate trade union representatives or to improve communication between the central bodies of organisations and representatives at different levels.

PC and internet use among LO members

A June 1999 survey by the Opinion research institute indicates that seven out of 10 members of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen i Norge, LO) regularly use a personal computer (PC) at home, at school, or at work. Furthermore, approximately 66% of all LO members have access to the internet, and a majority of these utilise this opportunity on a weekly basis, or more. The recent survey indicates a significant increase in the utilisation of information technology since 1997, when a similar survey was undertaken by Opinion on behalf of LO. In 1997, only 33% of those asked claimed to have access to the internet, and six out of 10 members claimed to be regular users of PCs at home, at school or at work (NO9803155F).

Although internet use is a relatively widespread activity among LO members, the survey shows that the various websites of LO and its member unions are not as yet significant channels of communication between members and the more central levels of the trade union movement. The survey shows that union journals are still the most important channels used to acquire information about trade union activity. Ordinary newspapers and television are also important. Furthermore, 72% of members with access to the internet have not, or are uncertain about the extent to which they have, visited trade union websites.

Education and training via the internet

The internet generates new opportunities with regard to education and training. LO-Stat, LO's bargaining cartel for the state sector, is presently running an adult education scheme, which provides training courses via the internet for its members and union representatives. This is a pilot project initiated in 1998, sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs.

The scheme includes a "virtual classroom", with 30 students located in their homes, and with teaching staff drawn from the district branches of LO-Stat. The course being run at present covers the legal framework and collective agreements in the public- and semi-public sectors, and the students are mostly union representatives in the public sector. The ambition is to encourage more members of LO-Stat to participate in the future. LO-Stat was also represented in a public working committee examining alternative channels of training, and is planning to develop virtual internet seminars on issues concerning collective bargaining.

The Workers' Education Association of Norway (Arbeidernes Opplysningsforbund, AOF), an adult education association closely associated with the labour movement, has also established working groups to look into the possibility of providing education and courses via the internet.

NOPEF and electronic union branches

The Norwegian Oil and Petrochemical Workers Union (Norsk Olje- og Petrokjemisk Fagforbund, NOPEF), affiliated to LO, has for a long time been one of the pioneering trade unions in Norway when it comes to taking advantage of information technology and the internet in its union activities (NO9803155F). Its "electronic union branches" (Elektroniske klubbkontor), an information network for its trade union branches, are available on the internet, although some services are limited to trade union representatives. The project has also involved educating union representatives in information technology, especially with regard to their use of internet-based services and in the acquisition of information. It allows NOPEF's branches easier access to collective agreements, negotiation protocols etc, as well as allowing for smoother information exchange between union representatives. An internal evaluation seems to suggest that a majority of branches have in fact been regular users of the scheme. NOPEF is also the first Norwegian trade union to have utilised the internet, in combination with e-mail, for industrial action purposes. In the spring of 1998, NOPEF campaigned against the possible outsourcing of employees in the Norwegian oil company Saga Petroleum, during which information was made available both internationally as well as nationally through the internet, on various trade union websites and internet-based newspapers. During the campaign, NOPEF encouraged members, and others, to send e-mails of complaint to the management of Saga.

The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon, NHO) has initiated a pilot project, which is similar to that of NOPEF. In addition to its ordinary website, NHO has created a membership site, which allows members access to more information about the organisation's activity, such as internal discussion groups and questionnaires for internal evaluations.

Commentary

The growth in the use of PCs and the internet have led most of the larger social partner organisations to focus more of their information efforts through their websites. Most trade unions, however, seem to regard the internet first and foremost as a channel for swift communication of information, for example in relation to wage settlements, and as a general information channel serving the media. So far, the internet has to only a limited degree been used as a medium for education and training of shop stewards, or network-building between union representatives at different organisational levels. LO members stress, according to the Opinion survey, that trade unions should pay greater attention to the internet in their activity. Although it is worrying that only a minority of those with access to the internet have actually visited the websites of LO and its member unions, trade unions are becoming increasingly aware of the opportunities generated by the internet, and recognise the importance of keeping up with developments in new technology, both for their members as well as the organisations themselves. Thus, on 24 August 1999, LO launched a package deal offer of PC and internet access at home to all of its approximately 830,000 members (NO9803155F). (Haavard Lismoen, FAFO Institute for Applied Social Science)