INFORMATION LITERACY IN THE CONTEXT OF WORKERS’ RIGHTS

Abstract

Objective. The aim of the research was to examine the activist and emancipatory potential of information literacy in the context of workers’ rights, to examine patterns, levels and differences in self-assessed level of information about workers’ rights and information behaviour depending on trade union membership, and the readiness to fight actively for the protection and improvement of workers’ rights. Approach/methodology/design. The research, conceived at the intersection of critical information literacy and workplace information literacy, was carried out using quantitative methodology and survey method, on a nationally representative sample of employed persons in the Republic of Croatia with N= 500 respondents. An online questionnaire consisting of 50 primarily closed questions was used as a research instrument. Results. The workers who better self-assess their being informed of labor rights more frequently state their workers’ rights have not been violated, and they are more willing to struggle for their protection and improvement. Trade union membership has been proven to be a significant predictor of a better self-assessment of being informed about workers’ rights. The non-members better self-assess their information competencies. All workers equally independently seek and receive information; the most frequent sources of seeking and cross-checking information are formal and informal internet sources. The workers actively seek information on their workers’ rights when they suspect their rights have been violated. The main problems in being informed are frequent changes of laws and regulations, a perception of not receiving complete and true information, and a perception of the conscious withholding of information. These problems are more frequently perceived by non-union members. Research limitations. The method of survey and the instrument of online questionnaire excluded the computer illiterate respondents and those with no Internet access, which affected achieving the nationally representative sample. The self-assessment scales are an unreliable indicator of the respondents’ objective level of being informed. Practical implications: The findings can be indicative for conceptualizing public policy measures including information literacy instruction programmes aimed at improving the information literacy of workers and their workers’ rights and redefining the roles of labour market actors. Originality/ value. There are no known research studies of information literacy in relation to workers’ rights in literature; therefore, this research contributes to building knowledge in the context of the topic and indicates new research avenues for information literacy and theoretical frameworks of critical information literacy and workplace information literacy.