Organising during the pandemic
[ch 6: pages 65-66]The TUC’s organising platform has plenty of resources and training materials to support organising during the pandemic. In 2020, the TUC held Organise 2020, its first online festival of ideas for union organising.
Useful existing networks include Unionreps.org.uk, a free interactive discussion forum that allows union reps to discuss and share ideas. With over 20,000 users, this website has provided a platform for union representatives to share and help each other with workplace concerns for over ten years.
Online petitions offer a successful way of galvanising support and finding individuals who are prepared to take a more active campaigning role. The TUC has a devolved petitioning platform for unions to use in their online campaigns. It can operate as a gateway to organising and was used successfully in support of Unite’s Fair Tips campaign at Pizza Express, which gathered 10,000 signatures.
Organise 2020 sessions (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpWEQxwRfgp0moF4Fjp3HO-PfRpXmKYNX)
Unionreps (https://www.unionreps.org.uk)
Megaphone (https://www.megaphone.org.uk)