The social network for trade unionists - a LabourStart project.
Building a bottom-up transnational unionism that will hack the capitalist mode of production and lead the way towards mature and advanced, joyful, positive, creative alternative world civilizations.
Website: http://snuproject.wordpress.com/
Location: Everywhere
Members: 83
Latest Activity: Apr 14
Hundreds of millions not if billions of workers in the world are out of reach for the established trade union mechanisms and structures, so they are not protected at all. Peter Waterman calls them 'Labour's others', for some others they are the new working class; the precariat composed of people who holds no property and even secure job.
What kind of trade union structure will go beyond the ongoing problems and the crisis of unionism, which was born out of well known problems and will become the change maker of our time. Can Unionbook ensemble a model for such future union organisation through the net?
There are already many good examples of action and organising taking place via the net and incredible results are getting reached , as it happened in 2007 when financial support has been mobilized from the wealthier segments of the Western working classes for the Ford worker's first ever strike organised in Russia since the beginning of the 20th Century.
For already some times social networks are gaining ground as an important and dynamic forms of communication and collective action tools. Many activists are involved today in one or another social network on the net, or on the real world. Is time came to transform this tool into a new generation social movement union.
There is a need to start discussion can this happen, can it work, and how? How would we build and gain legal ground for such a union, is it possible, or necessary? How would such union look like, be governed and function against the offensive coming from the employer and the state?
'Social Network Unionism' working group has recently been created with the aim of promoting such discussion and providing a space for comprehensive work in order to experiment with Social Network Union idea by utilizing the opportunity created by LabourStart team and Eric Lee, by creating the unique space of Unionbook and bringing hundreds of unionist together on the net.
I want to suggest that this is actually the discussion towards the New Unionism for the 21st century. With this call I would like to invite all who involved one way or other in labour and trade union movements to join and contribute this working group.
...
The initial discussion and exchange below on the Comment Wall has been a clustering around the SNU idea, its definition, possible implications, usage etc. To provide clarity and focus for the overall dlscussion I have suggested to split the discussion into two piece.
Below forum now can focus on what is SNU about, its definition, it's feasibility, cotribution, usefullness, limits, how can we promote the concept within existing unions? and so on.
For such discussion, Peter HJ's New Unionism, SIGTUR's TNCs, and PSI's own experiements here in UnionBook provide live examples of developing SNU.
For the second line of discussion a group has been created. Focus of that discussion has been suggested as actually how to create one global grassroots social network union, in order to complete the first discussion by both pressurring on existing unions to change -without contending them-and challneging capital and state elite to stop attacing on life, peace and justice immediately -by bringing all progreesive and revolutionary social forces into one counter hegemonic bloc.
Started by Orsan Senalp. Last reply by Orsan Senalp Jul 19, 2011.
Started by Kirsten Forkert. Last reply by Joseph Skues Jan 25.
Started by Orsan Senalp. Last reply by Orsan Senalp Sep 29, 2011.
Started by Kirsten Forkert. Last reply by Orsan Senalp Jun 21, 2011.
Started by Orsan Senalp. Last reply by Philip Lillies Aug 4, 2011.
Started by Orsan Senalp. Last reply by Orsan Senalp Aug 3, 2011.
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Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 18, 2012 at 17:02 Hi Peter sorry! you can download the final version in Dutch here http://www.tie-netherlands.nl/node/2942.
wiki [En] version is indeed a draft one and it is being edited right noe and it wil be ready soonish.
Comment by peter waterman on June 18, 2012 at 16:47 This is potentially a great piece, Orsan. However, it needs to be developed, I think, together with someone experienced in presenting such information in a well-laid-out and attractive manner.
As a well-motivated but poorly-qualified cybernaut (or cybernought), I had to transfer the text to Word and whilst it was then possible to read, it was still full of computer symbols. And, I think, in need of illustrations or other learning aids.
I'll be interested to see whether you can either find collaborators or funding, or both, to develop this into a powerful teaching tool.
Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 18, 2012 at 16:04 
P2P AND TRANSNATIONAL EXCHANGE AT THE SHOP-FLOOR LEVEL: Social media and online networking guide for shop stewards and union activists
MODULE I – prepared for and by the support of TIE-Netherlands
Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 18, 2012 at 16:04 
Workshop will be given by: Marten van den Berge (TIE Netherlands), Jack Bos (FNV), and Orsan Senalp (meber FNV / Networganisation).
When: Wednesday, June 13.
Where: Conference Centre The Veerhuis, Nije Monde 4, 3434 AZ Nieuwegein.
Time: From 13.30 – 15.45
Sign in timely by Renate Breg: r.breg bg.fnv.nl @ -> And do not wait to register for this workshop because there space for maximum of 25 persons.
CAUTION! All day event on International Solidarity is only open for members of the various FNV Unions!
http://www.fnvmondiaal.nl/doe_mee/voor_de_bikkels/1025800
TIE Netherlands: http://www.tie-netherlands.nl
Networganisation: http://networg.wordpress.com
Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 16, 2012 at 11:44 Firenze 10+10: joining forces for another Europe
November 8-11, 2012
Ten years ago, Florence hosted the first ever European Social Forum. It constituted an extraordinary moment in the construction of a continent-wide demos, which presented analyses, proposals and solutions which – had they been translated into policies – would have avoided Europe and the world crashing into the terrible economic, environmental, social and democratic crisis in which it is now mired.
Ten years on, there is neither nostalgia nor a desire to celebrate what we had then; even less do we intend today to repeat paths which belong to that time and that stage of development: the social movements have changed, new actors have emerged, there have been defeats but also victories, such as that of the water and commons movement in the Italian referendum one year ago.
At the same time, Europe is today pervaded by a need to build, albeit in new forms, a European public space. The need to look to the next 10 years with common objectives, agendas and strategies. The crisis – in its multiple aspects – and the austerity policies can be beaten, but we are aware that to achieve this we have to get away from fragmentation and the closure of each in their own narrow national dimensions: only if we are united can we win.
“Florence 10+10” aims to be an inclusive and popular space, at our disposal for building alliances and concrete common initiatives: to build convergences for action on a European scale. There is not much time left to save Europe from the lethal suffocation of neo-liberalism, technocracy and post-democracy in order to build together the Europe of the people, of rights and of democracy.
In the same spirit, over the course of recent months there have been numerous significant initiatives aimed at reconnecting, organized by various networks all over the continent. We are witnessing an encouraging blossoming of initiatives in Eastern Europe and in the Mediterranean area, which give form and substance to that extended Europe for which the social movements have always fought. Florence 10+10 is one step further on this collective route that is, by all means, building itself.
Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 8, 2012 at 16:00 
Workshop will be given by: Marten van den Berge (TIE Netherlands), Jack Bos (FNV), and Orsan Senalp (meber FNV/netwORG strategy).
When: Wednesday, June 13.
Where: Conference Centre The Veerhuis, Nije Monde 4, 3434 AZ Nieuwegein.
Time: From 13.30 – 15.45
Sign in timely by Renate Breg: r.breg bg.fnv.nl @ -> And do not wait to register for this workshop because there space for maximum of 25 persons.
Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 5, 2012 at 14:38 Posted 3 days ago on June 2, 2012, 2:38 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Our comrades in Spain haven been occupying local banks with lively noise demos andcaceroladas, or pot-banging protests, in Barcelona, Madrid, and other cities. In Barcelona, protesters have targeted La Caixa in a campaign called Occupy Mordor, a reference comparing the bank to the land of evil from J.R.R. Tolkien mythology. The Spanish government recently bailed out another major bank (Bankia) while under threat from the European financial sector, who promised total market chaos across Europe if their demands were not met. Spanish Occupiers – the 15-M or indignad@s movement, who largely inspired #OWS – are fighting back by expanding their banking protests.
The banking bailout is tied to the wider program of austerity being enforced in Spain and across Europe, as well as here in North America. We stand in solidarity with social movements in Spain and across the world who are resisting corrupt rule and fighting for real democracy! Below is a Manifesto from Barcelona, translated by OccupyWallSt.org. More photos below.
Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 5, 2012 at 14:36 Please note / spread http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2012/06/occupy-earth-summit-common...
Supported by among others Occupy London General Assembly
http://occupylondon.org.uk/archives/8650
People’s Petition – sign up at http://occupyrioplus20.net/
We, members of the Occupy movement and civil society, highlight the critical window of opportunity at the Earth Summit to vastly scale up political, financial & public response to the environmental, social & economic crisis of our time, & to raise ambition to the level that science demands. We are exceeding 3 of 9 planetary boundaries (climate change; biodiversity loss; changes to the nitrogen cycle) and our economy has outgrown the ecosystems we depend on. We denounce debt-created money and demand urgent regulation for a steady-state economy. We vow to respect and protect the beauty and diversity of life on Earth, realising our interconnectedness with nature. Governments, corporations and financial institutions must wake up and dramatically prioritise people & the planet over abusive exploitation for short-term profit & “growth”.
In defence of our rights, freedoms & future, we call for:
1. A direct participatory democratic UN: inclusive rights-based global decision-making; open-source communications. Prioritise youth, women, marginalised voices & civil society formally in negotiations.
Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 5, 2012 at 14:36 Courtesy of our comrade Jasper from The Netherlands
Last Sat 2 June, about 25 people from 13 countries joined the Open Space for the evaluation and future of the Occupy/Indigndos/M15 Global May process https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/360735620647791The full minutes of the meeting are here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mnHOBIwc1-Qsq4DFk62ZVeMtfriCSSB...
Here is a very brief and incomplete summary. More reports and future plans were announced. Please feel free to make contributions. Email:dinamization12m15m@gmail.com
Part 1. Evaluation of M1, M12, M15, etc
Reports from Tel Aviv, Madrid, Amsterdam, Blockupy Frankfurt, Chicago Anti-NATO, New York, Brasil, Croatia, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and other places.
Many issues were brought to attention: struggles with horizontal organisation, police repression, lack of media attention, the role of statements and manifestos, international communication, and more.
Part 2. Future plans: specific events or campaigns during the summer, general discussion about future strategies and communication and our process.
There are many local/national plans to continue our movements and some international dates. Plans are focused on debt, austerity, precarity, the commons, antiwar, mother earth.
We agreed on the following schedule of meetings in the near future:
Comment by Orsan Senalp on June 5, 2012 at 14:35 By meedabyte / May 28, 2012 /
(Italian translation of the post follows here – La traduzione in italiano è disponibile qui)
I’m fresh back from the first OuiShare Summit in Paris – that has been held in the wonderful coworking space“La Mutinerie” - where I had the amazing opportunity to gave a talk entitled “Towards a cooperative, small scale, local, p2p production Future” in which I really tried to connect the dots over a bunch of topics, amazing authors and also writings that I’ve done on my own, especially the latest three on the blog.
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