26 August, 2009Union communicators from different parts of the world will meet at the first joint EMF-IMF Communicators' Forum in Frankfurt to discuss union campaigns, innovative communication strategies and new media techniques.
GLOBAL: The European and International Metalworkers' Federations with the assistance of IG Metall will hold their first joint EMF-IMF Communicators' Forum in Frankfurt (Germany) on November 17-18. During two days the union communication professionals representing IMF and EMF affiliates will discuss union campaigns, compare new media techniques, and build an effective communicators' network.
The Forum will primarily focus on new media techniques and web-based campaign tools which help trade unions to achieve both union building and organising as well as to make breakthroughs on issues like climate change and the spread of precarious work. Participants will discuss examples on how FaceBook, YouTube, Flickr and others are being successfully used by unions across the metalworking industry.
Both the European and International Metalworkers' Federations see a strong need for cooperation in order to protect the interests of the metalworkers and to enhance communications methods for their member organisations. The Forum will serve to improve joint global campaigning helping unions to fight back on increased globalisation and outsourcing, reduced social protection and labour rights, a rise in precarious work and the consequences of climate change.
The last IMF Communicators' Forum took place in 2007 in Geneva. It offered in-depth discussions and examples of solidarity campaigns. Several joint EMF-IMF solidarity actions have taken place since then, such as campaigns in support of Sinter Metal workers in Turkey and mining workers in Mexico as well as the 2008 campaign against precarious work.
To find out more please contact Alex Ivanou ( [email protected] ) and/or ( Caroline Jacobsson ).