YouTube and Industrial Relations

In Crowd Surfing we described how internet based campaigns were increasingly replacing walk-outs and strike action as the trade union movement’s preferred form of direct action.  Employers have also begun to adopt this approach of appealing directly to their target audience, without relying on the editorial filter imposed by the traditional media. 

BA’s Willie Walsh has relied heavily on YouTube in his battle against the Unite trade union and according to research published in Brand Republic, it is an approach that appears to be working: nearly 19% of those surveyed had an enhanced view of the airline and more than three-quarters of those who had encountered BA’s communications felt as supportive of the airline or more so than before.