IBM staff plan Second Life protest

19 Sep 2007 | 09:28 BST

By Nick Farrell

ITALIAN IBM staffers are planning a protest against their employer's reluctance to pay them more dosh.

But rather than turn up outside IBM's offices and do a bit of picketing or throw stones at the windows, like in the good old days, these pampered sons and daughters of 21st century sloth plan to hold their protest online, in virtual world Second Life.

It appears the Italian labour union RSU is in dispute with IBM.

The works council - which is something we'd know about in Blighty if we signed up to the EU proper but haven't - apparently asked for a "small" salary increase. IBM didn't like the cut of their jib so canned what it calls the "productive results benefit".

As a result, the miffed union wants hundreds of avatars of Italian IBM workers, as well as IBM staff from around the world and other trades unionists to converge flash-mob style on IBM's Second Life campus later this month, to demonstrate and spread the word about the dispute.

The demo site will be on the IBM sim, but if Biggish Blue shuts it down then they will go elsewhere -online, of course. Just in case it rains.

More here. µ

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