Comments on: IBM employees and unions strike / protest in Second Life http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/ Exporting an SL photographer's Second Life Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:32:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Davide Barillari http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-13200 Davide Barillari Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:08:38 +0000 http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-13200 Breakthrough at IBM Italy One month after a virtual protest staged in Second Life with almost 2’000 avatars demonstrating on IBM islands, a new contract with IBM Italy has been signed. The new agreement, which still needs to be approved by the IBM Italy workforce, reinstates the performance bonus that was cut unilaterally by IBM Italy management. The agreement signed by IBM Italy and the trade union Rappresentanze Sindacali Unitarie (R.S.U.) not only includes the performance bonuses from 2007 up until 2010 but also payments by IBM into a national health insurance fund and also states that negotiations will continue with respect to IBM industrial and business strategies in Italy and the improvement of internal communication policies. The situation abruptly improved and negotiation resumed after the former country manager left IBM in the mid of October, who had signed responsible for the pay cuts in the first place. His departure cleared the air and facilitated constructive negotiations between social partners as this could be expected from a professional management of a high-tech company. The virtual demonstration organized on 27 September for a whole day has certainly had an impact on the positive development. Almost 2’000 virtual protestors from 30 countries populating IBM premises in Second Life solicited an unprecedented media echo from all over the world, including TV and radio stations, daily news papers, computer and business magazines. The virtual protest had been supported by global unions such as the International and European Metalworkers Federations (IMF and EMF) and UNI Global Union. The threat of strike action in the “real world” by the Italian unions after the virtual protest has certainly also helped to break the deadlock. Yet, the impact of this historical action in Second Life must not be underestimated. Breakthrough at IBM Italy

One month after a virtual protest staged in Second Life with almost 2’000 avatars demonstrating on IBM islands, a new contract with IBM Italy has been signed.

The new agreement, which still needs to be approved by the IBM Italy workforce, reinstates the performance bonus that was cut unilaterally by IBM Italy management.

The agreement signed by IBM Italy and the trade union Rappresentanze Sindacali Unitarie (R.S.U.) not only includes the performance bonuses from 2007 up until 2010 but also payments by IBM into a national health insurance fund and also states that negotiations will continue with respect to IBM industrial and business strategies in Italy and the improvement of internal communication policies.

The situation abruptly improved and negotiation resumed after the former country manager left IBM in the mid of October, who had signed responsible for the pay cuts in the first place. His departure cleared the air and facilitated constructive negotiations between social partners as this could be expected from a professional management of a high-tech company.

The virtual demonstration organized on 27 September for a whole day has certainly had an impact on the positive development. Almost 2’000 virtual protestors from 30 countries populating IBM premises in Second Life solicited an unprecedented media echo from all over the world, including TV and radio stations, daily news papers, computer and business magazines. The virtual protest had been supported by global unions such as the International and European Metalworkers Federations (IMF and EMF) and UNI Global Union.

The threat of strike action in the “real world” by the Italian unions after the virtual protest has certainly also helped to break the deadlock. Yet, the impact of this historical action in Second Life must not be underestimated.

]]> By: Vint Falken http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-10675 Vint Falken Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:00:00 +0000 http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-10675 E-mail communication from Christine Revkin from the Union Network: <em>Dear Friends, Many thanks to all of those who have given us suggestions on how to proceed with the IBM Italy workers’ struggle that had remained unsolved after our historical Protest in Second Life on September 27th. By the time we went through all of the excellent and original ideas you gave us, some developments had taken place….indeed there are some very positive news we had to share with you: 1. Mr Andrea Pontremoli, IBM Italy’s CEO (who personally received all of your petitions by email) has resigned. It seems our Virtual action had an impact on his role at IBM. IBM Corporation made a complaint to IBM Italy for the way they’ve managed the negotiations with the thousands of employees and how they’ve let it lead to such a harmful image for the company. 2. IBM Italy management have accepted to return to the negotiations’ table and has already met with the Works Council. We expect an agreement will -finally- be signed in the next week or two. IBM workers have now been waiting an entire year for the situation to unblock, so this is really fantastic news. We would like to think that all of this has a lot to do with the incredible support all of you have given them over the last 6 weeks. Your involvement with the protest in Second Life, your news coverage of the events and your ideas to pursue fighting in “first” and “second life” have really helped tremendously. You will never be thanked enough. Again, we’ll keep you informed of the signing of the new agreement for IBM Italy workers! IBM Protest organisers</em> I'm sure the RL protest and such helped way more then the virtual one did, but still, let's cheer for the Brave New Virtual World that is Second Life? =d E-mail communication from Christine Revkin from the Union Network:

Dear Friends,

Many thanks to all of those who have given us suggestions on how to proceed with the IBM Italy workers’ struggle that had remained unsolved after our historical Protest in Second Life on September 27th.
By the time we went through all of the excellent and original ideas you gave us, some developments had taken place….indeed there are some very positive news we had to share with you:

1. Mr Andrea Pontremoli, IBM Italy’s CEO (who personally received all of your petitions by email) has resigned. It seems our Virtual action had an impact on his role at IBM. IBM Corporation made a complaint to IBM Italy for the way they’ve managed the negotiations with the thousands of employees and how they’ve let it lead to such a harmful image for the company.
2. IBM Italy management have accepted to return to the negotiations’ table and has already met with the Works Council. We expect an agreement will -finally- be signed in the next week or two. IBM workers have now been waiting an entire year for the situation to unblock, so this is really fantastic news. We would like to think that all of this has a lot to do with the incredible support all of you have given them over the last 6 weeks. Your involvement with the protest in Second Life, your news coverage of the events and your ideas to pursue fighting in “first” and “second life” have really helped tremendously. You will never be thanked enough.

Again, we’ll keep you informed of the signing of the new agreement for IBM Italy workers!

IBM Protest organisers

I’m sure the RL protest and such helped way more then the virtual one did, but still, let’s cheer for the Brave New Virtual World that is Second Life? =d

]]> By: Kailie Quinn (Katarina Malthus) http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-8878 Kailie Quinn (Katarina Malthus) Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:54:27 +0000 http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-8878 *plays with her pretty pictures in her still fun SL* *plays with her pretty pictures in her still fun SL*

]]> By: Vint Falken http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-8794 Vint Falken Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:45:29 +0000 http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-8794 Smoke, I know. Giving them a 1k L$ rise again was my solution. =) I was also talking about SL riot control, not RL riot control. Tobie, let her. *keeps white font tag ready* ;) Smoke, I know. Giving them a 1k L$ rise again was my solution. =) I was also talking about SL riot control, not RL riot control.

Tobie, let her. *keeps white font tag ready* ;)

]]> By: October Hush http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-8784 October Hush Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:27:38 +0000 http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-8784 "Vint, a communist? ;)" Watch out, Prok is going to make hir next diatribe/dissertation/foaming-at-the-mouth rant based on that question alone. ;-) “Vint, a communist? ;)”

Watch out, Prok is going to make hir next diatribe/dissertation/foaming-at-the-mouth rant based on that question alone. ;-)

]]> By: Smoke Wijaya http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-8778 Smoke Wijaya Fri, 28 Sep 2007 12:28:33 +0000 http://www.vintfalken.com/ibm-employees-and-supporters-strike-protest-in-second-life/#comment-8778 > 1000 Linden Dollars / Italian employee isn’t all that much? We are talking about 1000 euro's, not linden dollars.... > 1000 Linden Dollars / Italian employee isn’t all that much?

We are talking about 1000 euro’s, not linden dollars….

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