Informatization of Science and Technology Labor Union through Using Homepage

-Understanding of informatization should be preceded Informatization movement

Ik-Sung Lim

(National Science and Technology Trade Union)

1. Introduction

STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION) consists of 30 branches(government contribution research institution of Science and Technology section), 3500 union members. The scale is small but in 1994 April it dismissed company union and constructed new union according to each product from the bottom. Despite the self-confidence of setting up as single union firstly, there was still remained gap, conflict and misunderstanding among branches. So one of strategic methods to reduce those kinds of problem was Homepage.

Namely as opening the epistemic structure in cyber space to the members of 30 branches locally dispersed, it intended to combine each branch by letting them have feeling of the consciousness of we are the same. This is the first reason why construct Homepage and solving the problem of miscommunication between local branch and center is second reason.

©Í Mutual communication structure between mass union members and the leaders beyond one side command

©Î Open structure that make possible to meet all members without limitation of time or space

Indeed these two factors are very epochal and symbolic implication. Moreover, they show that the reason why movement camp should hasten informatization, which will be elaborated later. Here I will find out what task they fulfill through homepage, and further infer what kind of job they will support in managing organization unions usual activity which is possible through Internet.

2.The condition of using and managing STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION) Homepage

1998 First of March. It has opened on the anniversary day of Sam-il Independency movement as meaning of Independent from each and all related to information and communication. It wanted perfect independence from all commercial computerization system as well as each organs. So induced Renux managing system and made all CGI program and bulletin program by itself during six months preparatory period. Why we set down web as basis of managing method is that we felt PC communication is not only relatively close and limited but also restricted to unlimited extension of information and communication technology. What series of task STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION) homepage want to support is that various tasks to maintain organization , secondly education and propagation activity, and thirdly tools for solidarity, which is close to significance categorization not time procedure.

2.1 The situation of homepage utilization, now 1999 October

*the number of inquiry :112,000 times (a year and half since opening)

*affiliated members with joining yard: 1059 members (recently August-20, October-22 join)

non-union members:249

*bulletin board using degree: central bulletin board 14, branch board 90, not-open board 4

(in the early management company work charger has rather interest and often contact than the chief executives of unions)

2.2 What is in process now

At present bulletin board and data room is managed centrally and schedule management and simple public survey function are there too. There is complicated part of making HTML document by one in managing homepage, so as to reduce this burdensome, programitizing all passable things into bulletin board form which result in reducing hands. CGI program which is major constituent of homepage is made up of C language using gdbm library to strengthen search hereafter.

If log in homepage, firstly STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION), alliance, and etc will appear sequentially in small window over main frame. It doesnt need to do HTML work on daily schedule separately, server confirm the date and distribute applicable data. The process of inputting schedule is made by CGI program too, so reduce hands to the utmost, and make possible to show past schedule by year or month. Including scribbling usual contents and the minutes of central committee, central executive committee and representatives conference is open to the public through bulletin board and central committee determination or direction is delivered. Result of branchs perform and each branchs issue(or struggle situation) is also informed by branch bulletin board so immediately able to share the struggle atmosphere between central and other branches. Besides put common knowledge related to science and technology as data construct, and press news related to science and technology sector contribution institution.

One of the biggest problem which raised in managing bulletin board is inspection and restriction. Of course because STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION) operates self-system, it is rather free from outside checking except hacking. However uneasiness of self-inspection is still remained in members, suppose that criticize leaders or union itself and then reluctant to give legitimate comment for fear that their position would be exposed. But STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION) protect all of comments whether it is anonymity or real name from erasing and even manager cannot trace the origin of anonymous comment. So those movement group which pursue informatization should consider it.

Additionally one of distinction of bulletin board is setting up the approach limits in accordance with user. For example bulletin board and data base that serve to only central committee member, and also some space that provided only producers for producing and editting work paper, or festival planning conference and so on, not-open bulletin board is managed as each issues, which are not perfectly operated not-open, just for draft because of time saving for executives to interchange their ideas. This not-open bulletin board taken example of producing work paper will open as certain time goes informing what was dealt, what was difficulty to produce work paper like edit epilogue. During open to the public union members put the reading impression and desire and then producer group prepare for next work press based on them.

And also through information center, official document, and of course struggle prompt report, statistic data and so on is put on homepage, which is produced by STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION). This part is expected to extend to information center on the basis of web, it is explained later. On the other hand take pictures of all sorts of events and struggle situation by digital camera and keep them as file and exhibit and organize reporter room separately so that they can reflect report materials and demand particulars of reporters.

Schedule table, bulletin board, all sorts of information center and arrangement of active film and etc. which was explained above, is made in prediction of over ten years. All information and bulletin board has a each distinctive role and is going down on the history in the homepage server. So homepage manager might be warehouse keeper to protect documents of struggle, and members who put comment or article on the web even small scribbling might record the history of STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION) struggle as qualification of master.

2.3 What is planning to do through using homepage

1. At present the condition is just working on web server, but if necessary e-mail address and even web hosting will be provided to members.

2. Extend documents data program today further and construct information center by using web. Web information center should go hand in hand with systematization of documents data of office, plan to make it easy to search keeping all sorts of data such as conference data, education information, policy information and including an official document from outside and etc. organized into each category. In other words construct STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION) web information center which make possible to search on the web then if log in internet even in South Pole, its possible to work on STLU(SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LABOR UNION) task.

3. Its possible to think about CGI program and web lecture which is able to teach and learn on the on-line that permits bilateral communication. It can manage details such as labor movement history, labor laws, or labor precedents(and philosophy and ideology education) and so on as column, Q & A form, or forum beyond limitation of time and space. It could achieved easily by application of bulletin board program today in company with information center.

4. Extend public survey program so that can play the role of investigation and statistics and also prepare method that make possible to affiliate with union through internet.

5. Select branch information and communication charger, promote for branch to make branch homepage for publicity and advertisement, and then working together with center homepage. Shortly bulletin board and information center is going to be managed integrated and plan to manage branch pride or condition of branch activity separately depends on branch homepage.

6. Complete chatting program at present. When program is finished then once try to perform small non-regular discussion in this chatting room and gradually modify and supplement it to make possible regular discussion. If this will be extended then cyber general meeting will be possible, which allow the space 3500 union members to join the space.

7. Besides strengthen the function of sending notes to make members familiar with homepage, support homepage construct by organizing small group in homepage, manage BBS kind of private bulletin board that will consist of column or usual gossip, or link a variety of information that members need so as to make easy to navigate information sea.

Half of what enumerated above will be constructed by March next year, within a year completed.

3. For informatization of movement camp

3.1 Predictions of change organization management resulted from informatization

As mentioned previously what bilateral communication is possible caused by informatization and overcome the limitation of space and time would bestow motive enough to change determination structure of union. That is, from vertical communication to horizontal. Presuppose what will happen:

1.Vertically the direct connection between center leders and member is possible so intermediary organization system would be unnecessary or shifted to other form. Shortly, each member can get the determination issue from the center individually, vice versa.

2. Horizontally the gap among branches with sharing data and far-off each branch members communication, and there is some possibility to emerge new type of sub-organization instead of branch. For example small group that made up by those who share same hobby or interest will be turn up in communication space in labor union.

3. Indeed the fulfillment of this possibility is up to how to draw mass members to communication space. So leaders of movement including activists who are charge in information and communication should heve broad understanding of informatization.

3.2 Right awareness of informatization

As we now come to informatization society, although economical analysis on big flow of capital is important but we shouldnt look over sociological anaylsis on how individual consciousness structure change. Briefly, it is change of individual sense from collectivization to individualisation and process from national centralism to out of nationalism. Some sociologists who worry about information society insist that individualization of society means dehumanization and anti-partnership, however, whether it means negatively or positively, this individualization goes on over all society.

The individualization and decentralization which have been developed slowly with industrial society get speedy with the emergence of information-communication technology, especially internet(including personal computer). Meeting or conversation which has been impossible because of regional (or time) restriction has been made and people prefer meeting other people who has same hobby, interest or ideology to meeting people who share same space(society, state).3 Even though it is virtual space, it makes possible for people to share more various information and it results in broadening of individual confidence.4

This confidence turns individual's negative action to positive action. Industrial society means that individualization is 'alienation', but in the information society, it is new 'societal-subjective concept'. Is it nonsense to suggest that our society is going to society which can give benefit to group through individual value realization, not to society which sacrifice individual benefit for societal benefit? This is real liberation, liberation of human being, liberation of labor, and next society which we should achieve by informatization

By this context, we should utilize informatization as step going to the society of ¡ºsociety where free development of individual has meaning(1848 German ideology¡»,¡ºsociety which regards free development of individual as basic condition of free development of everybody(1848 declaration of the Commuists)¡»,¡ºhigh level society which based on the theory of free individuality(1883 Capitalism vol.1)¡». These are our historical duty and the right understanding of informatization should be proceeded.

This world will be changed by how movement group accept informatization. It can go to real liberation of individual and liberation of human being or fall into the hell of capital.

4. Conclusion

There are many opinion about informatization society, for example, it is just ruling ideology of post-capitalism, it will make chance to bring participation democracy with overcoming limitation of parliamentary democracy, it helps to come into being of new community or it will destroy traditional society. Surely, it has two faces and each face has various expressions. From this view point, we should analyze without having unripe hope or groundless fear. Based on this understanding, we should think about how to information-communication technology use it for movement group.

So, we have to consider not only technological aspect but also societal aspect. All this should be based on the real necessity.