Trade union disputes used to involve angry workers huddled around braziers hurling abuse at management. But unions have now turned to a new technique to get their point across - cyber war.
Britain's biggest union, Unite, has launched a "virtual" assault (cyber sabotage - cybertage anyone?) on Marks and Spencer, to highlight what it says is exploitation of agency staff.
Unite says it placed an ad with Google so anyone searching for the term 'Marks and Spencer' today would be confronted by a message urging them to "look behind the label". The stunt was being carried out in addition to its conventional campaign against the high street chain.
The union reckons M&S's drive to suppress costs within its supply chain has created a permanent two-tier workforce in which mainly migrant agency workers have worse pay and conditions than directly employees. M&S says it is "surprised" by the campaign.
"The power of the internet gives unions the potential to go beyond its membership and reach out directly to millions of people," said Unite's general secretary, Tony Woodley.
Or that was the theory at least. A quick Google reveals the Union's protest message to be absent from a search on 'Marks and Spencer'. Perhaps the store has been fighting back.
However, the slogan does appear when you search for the letters 'M&S'.
Unite claims more than 9,000 people viewed their message - not quite the millions it had hoped for, but it's a start, and an alternative to holding up placards daubed with 'Honk if you hate M&S'.
.jpg?w=600)
