News

This week, the annual UNI Global Union Communicators Forum in Nyon hosted a wide array of talented communicators. Speakers Fabian Molina, of the Young Swiss Socialist Party and coordinator of the 1:12 initiative, Walton Pantland from Union Solidarity International and Tansy Hoskins, author of “Stitched Up: The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion”, were joined by writer and comedian David Schneider and journalist David Levin. UNI affiliates from around the world also shared and presented their successful digital media strategies to the Forum.

Fabian Molina kicked off the Forum with a speech on the 1:12 initiative proposed at a Swiss referendum in November, aimed to limit the salaries of top executives based on the annual minimum wage of the lowest paid employee within the same company.

Union Solidarity International’s Walton Pantland addressed the Forum with a message of unity, and argued that unified, carefully planned social media strategies of real substance could pay dividends for the labour movement.

Writer and journalist Tansy Hoskins, who regularly features in the Guardian and has just published her first book, spoke about the ramifications of the Rana Plaza factory disaster and Bangladesh Safety Accord for the fashion industry and the global supply chain.

The second day of the Forum involved a masterclass from David Schneider and David Levin on the effective use of Twitter and other social media platforms for the labour movement. They emphasised the meaningful influence an integrated and innovative social media presence can have on the impact of an organisation’s communications.

The Forum also saw a huge amount of support for the International Justice Day for Cleaners, with affiliates and guest speakers donning rubber gloves in solidarity with cleaners struggling for justice and dignity.