Margaret Grieco & Stephen Little - Global Unionism in the ‘Information Age’ – February 2006 1

www.design-and-determination.com/global-unions

Big Pharma, international labour, Big Pharma, international labour, social movements and the internet: social movements and the internet:

coordination and critical coordination and critical perspectives on international perspectives on international

businessbusiness

Margaret Grieco,Margaret Grieco,

Napier University UK and Cornell University, USANapier University UK and Cornell University, USA

Stephen LittleStephen LittleOpen University Business School UKOpen University Business School UK

Margaret Grieco & Stephen Little - Global Unionism in the ‘Information Age’ – February 2006 2

The new political space - ICTs and the globalising of labour and social movements

Global business imperatives for web infrastructure• Interaction with globalized client base

Distributed Global IT = Open IT• Accessibility at household and individual level• Collective development of existing public

communicative skills,– http://www.angelfire.com/co3/NCFS/campaign.html – http://www.actupny.org/

Internet as the ground for the globalised coordination of labour– http://www.icem.org/?id=4&doc=808

• Internet as open source communication home for social, political and labour movements

– mirrors open source software movement

Margaret Grieco & Stephen Little - Global Unionism in the ‘Information Age’ – February 2006 3

The new political space - ICTs and the globalising of labour and social movements

Social shadowing• The remote monitor the central

– Global discourse repositions local discourses– http://www.treat-your-workers.org/

• Social movements plus labour movement– http://www.tac.org.za/– http://squat.net/cia/gp/docs/fighting_pharma.rtf – Diffusion of skill creates reverse panopticon

Margaret Grieco & Stephen Little - Global Unionism in the ‘Information Age’ – February 2006 4

Social shadowing of Big Pharma

Effectiveness of coordinated political pressure– http://www.global-campaign.org/bigpharma.htm– http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0903-11.htm

• Key concessions from global operators– http://www.speakout.org.za/medical/main.html

Big Pharma Response: Self Exposure online• GSK Employee Guide to Business Conduct

– http://www.gsk.com/about/corp-gov/Employee-Guide-2004.pdf

• Dusa Pharmaceuticals Code of Ethics Applicable to Senior Officers

– http://www.dusapharma.com/pdf/Dusacode.pdf

Margaret Grieco & Stephen Little - Global Unionism in the ‘Information Age’ – February 2006 5

Conclusion:the new structure of global challenges

Contradictions of connectivity• Transparency and ease of information access• Suppression of information replaced by tapping of

information flows • ICT and social movements brings new pedagogy of the

oppressed Key role for the labour movement

• relaying and supporting the messages of the vulnerable and oppressed in the area of health and beyond