Presentation to ULF Quarterly Project Managers Meeting
1 July 2015 – Liverpool
The purpose of this paper is to present Union Learning Fund Project Managers with thoughts
about how information and digital literacy is relevant to the needs of their members, their
organisers and the wider community; and what might be done to help and support unions who
wish to explore what they might do in practice to promote and foster information and digital
literacy. The paper is presented jointly by the InformAll initiative and by the CILIP Information
Literacy Group – see footnote for more details of these organisations.
Premise
Information is a fundamental building block for democratic and inclusive societies. The
relationship that individuals, communities and organisations have with information in all its
guises strongly influences their behaviour. The methods that are deployed to search for, discover,
access, retrieve, sift, interpret, analyse, manage, create, communicate and preserve information
and data are major factors in how people go about their business and play their part as informed
citizens in the wider world – and, of course, as engaged members of collaborative organisations
such as trade unions. But they need help to take full advantage of their complex relationship with
information. How members of society develop appropriate knowledge, understanding, skills and
confidence, the support they receive, the training and educational opportunities provided for
them, and the take-up of such opportunities are highly pertinent to the way that they relate to
information. The capabilities that relate to acquiring this know-how are sometimes referred to as
information literacy; in a world that is highly-connected through digital technology and media,
this is closely associated with digital literacy. Although these two terms are not universallyrecognised, they have the virtue of being succinct, and for the sake of convenience, we refer to
them under the single label of information and digital literacy (IDL).
Relevance for trade unions
Our recent contacts with the TUC, through the Unionlearn initiative, have demonstrated to us
how IDL is relevant also to the agenda of trade unions. Tom Wilson, Unionlearn’s Director, as
stressed to us how IDL, even if it is not described as such, is inherent to the learning activities
fostered by the TUC. IDL can provide trade unionists (not just as employees, but also, for
lifelong learning purposes, as members of their various communities) with the tools,
understanding and confidence to gather evidence and use information; and help them to interpret
and challenge the information, and the misinformation, that they are confronted with – for
instance, giving them the means to engage and negotiate effectively with employers. IDL
therefore contributes to empowerment and democracy.
In a networked society, the sharing of information about what people do, say and think is
becoming increasingly important. Governments and corporations are joining up massive datasets
about practically every part of our lives, while billions of people regularly use social media to
share their personal experiences, cultural tastes and political views. Meanwhile the arrival of the
‘Internet of Things’, in the form of networks of sensors transmitting data from buildings and
consumer goods, could herald another surge in information about patterns in people’s
movements and behaviour.
The issues at stake in the emerging information landscape are of direct concern to trade unionists.
For instance:
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A dispute over the analysis of data from tracking devices used to monitor the movement of
vehicles and people lay at the core of a recent strike by Unite members employed by lift
company Kone1.
Human Resources industry analysts claim that "wearable" computers can be used for
employee performance monitoring2 .
As Unison has highlighted, the introduction of online applications for benefits such as
Universal Credit not only raises concerns about the negative impact on claimants who do not
regularly use the Internet3 , but also heralds increasing automation of data-collection and
processing roles in government.
Automation is also creeping into other sectors - software which summarises information for
use by media companies, in advertising or replaces the work of paralegals in some areas of
law is becoming more common.
Trade unions can make use of social media tools in campaigning, but workplace activists should
also be well aware of the limitations and dangers of using popular commercial platforms to
organise. The expansion of open data about corporations and government can be 'mined' by trade
unionists looking to strengthen their negotiating positions, or in the context of campaigns over
ethical investments.
Even beyond the role of trade unions, IDL can apply to all the contexts in which members of
society evolve, be it education (at all levels, arguably as early as primary school), research,
employment, any form of activism and generally everyday life. As such, IDL has traditionally
been of particular relevance to librarians, but also to teachers, trainers, data managers,
information scientists, researchers, professional bodies, accreditation bodies, employers, policymakers…
What might be done in practice
We are aware of the large programme of learning and training activities undertaken by
Unionlearn; and we also know of the role that the TUC plays as a purveyor of valuable and
challenging sources of information on employment, economic and social issues – for instance,
through the series of Touchstone pamphlets4, and through such campaigns as ‘Saving our Safety
Net’ 5.
In the first instance, it would therefore be instructive to find out from the representatives at the
meeting how they perceive IDL, how this relates to their respective agendas, priorities and
activities – particularly with regards to learning and training, but also, if appropriate, to their
broader role as major players in the public sphere.
On that basis, we would then like to discuss whether there are particular areas, of relevance to
IDL, which resonate with trade union priorities and where it might be beneficial to work together
to advance union policy and practice. Examples of such areas might include:
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Data security, data protection, confidentiality (as outlined above)
Implications of big data in employment contexts
Media literacy and journalistic skills
1
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/lift-workers-strike-over-spy-in-the-cab-that-does-not-work-says-unite/
2
http://www.hrzone.com/lead/future/wearables-are-the-hr-tool-of-the-future-today).
3
https://www.unison.org.uk/upload/sharepoint/On%20line%20Catalogue/21619.pdf
4
https://www.tuc.org.uk/economic-issues/touchstone-pamphlets
5
http://savingoursafetynet.org/
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Combatting misinformation, and the use of critical analysis / information discernment
We could then consider how, in practice, we might work collaboratively with unions and/or with
Unionlearn in these different areas. This might involve initiatives such as:
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Research to help develop the evidence base
Organising meetings / seminars
Helping to develop and organise tailored training, and/or produce training materials
Drawing up guidance
We understand that activities such as these are likely to require resources, and we wish to
investigate how we might secure funding, perhaps through applications or bids formulated jointly
with trade unions and/or Unionlearn. We suggest that such a joint approach is likely to increase
the credibility of any funding request, broaden the perspective of whatever activity is undertaken
and allow for more effective dissemination of the results. There are funders with a possible
interest in questions such as these, particularly if we stress how IDL can help to address
challenges such as social inclusion, digital inclusion, citizens’ rights, democratic participation,
etc. Relevant organisations include the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Esmée Fairbairn
Foundation and the Knight Foundation. Participants at the meeting may be aware of other
sources.
What we set out in this paper is no more than a series of suggestions, and we are open to ideas
from trade unions, from the TUC and from Unionlearn about how we might usefully work
together. For any joint activity, unions would bring their wealth of experience and a unique
capacity to tap into the views and needs of their members. From our perspective, we could
contribute academic know-how and contacts, interfaces with or training from experts in IDL, and
facilitation / co-ordination capacity.
We hope that these ideas will generate interest among participants at the meeting, and we look
forward to initiating a potentially fruitful dialogue.
Stéphane Goldstein – Research Information Network (on behalf of InformAll)
Dr Anne Alexander – University of Cambridge (on behalf of InformAll)
Rebecca Mogg – Cardiff University Library Services (on behalf of the CILIP Information Literacy
Group)
Notes about the organisations behind this paper:
InformAll is a collaborative, multi-agency network aimed at promoting the relevance,
importance and benefits of information literacy – http://www.informall.org.uk
CILIP is the Chartered Institute for Librarians and Information Professionals, the professional
body and advocacy organisation for for information, library and knowledge practitioners. The
CILIP Information Literacy (IL) Group works within CILIP and encourages debate and the
exchange of knowledge in all aspects of Information Literacy –
http://www.cilip.org.uk/about/special-interest-groups/information-literacy-group