Re: [Marxism] Should IT workers unionize?

["Gonçalo Valverde" <goncalo.valverde@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi.


On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 4:54 AM, Bob Hopson <bobhpsn@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> The popular technology blog slashdot.org has an interesting discussion over 
> the question of IT unions:
>
> http://news.slashdot.org/news/08/09/04/1359257.shtml
>
> with almost 1,000 responses it's a pretty popular topic.

Well, this as been a recurrent topic not only in slashdot but in
several other IT foruns. I would say that one of the problems for this
to happen is due to the still high demand in jobs for IT which allows
for a big mobility and makes the IT workers a bit permeable to the
idea that they don't need unions, and that they the unions would be
even be worst for them. Even here in Portugal, where we have a strong
union tradition (although declining) most of my coleagues would flinch
at the idea of joining a union.

Also, at least here in Portugal we mostly have horizontal unions (that
is unions industry specific and not work area specific) and this could
also pose a problem since the IT area is so mobile and people tend to
jump between industries. For example, I work at a mobile phone company
hence my union is SNTCT which is the union of people working in
communications (either fixed, mobile and also the post). If for some
reason I move to another industry (let's say food industry, since they
also need IT), I would need to change unions. This wouldn't be that
much of a problem but probably having a specific union would help
people making up their minds.. or not.

What's your experience on this in other coutries?

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