Timing is Everything: Lessons From a Trade Union Campaign for a ‘Right to Disconnect’

In the context of reduced opportunities for traditional forms of union organising, this paper asks: how well do digital campaigns facilitate the advancement of trade union aims? The paper examines a campaign to secure a Right to Disconnect (RtD) for workers in the financial services sector in Ireland. Through interviews with key actors including union organisers and activists, as well as an in-depth examination of secondary data, including union social media, policy documentation and survey data, this paper outlines the strategies underpinning the campaign, the techniques employed at various stages, and the outcomes achieved. The findings demonstrate how unions can advance their regulatory function through organising and contributes to our practical understanding of the orchestration of digital campaigns through a multifaceted approach, strategically targeting different stakeholders concurrently.