A NEW code of behaviour for using social media in industrial disputes may need to be introduced, a leading employment relations trouble shooter said.

Peter Harwood, chief conciliator for Acas, was in Newcastle to give a seminar focusing on the increased use of social media in the workplace.

Tyneside-born Mr Harwood, whose role with the conciliation service is to try to settle or prevent large disputes, said that social media such as Facebook and Twitter could transform industrial relations in Britain.

He highlighted a dispute at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire which spread through social media and texts to more than 20 other construction sites across the country.

Mr Harwood said so called digital activism presented a challenge to trade unions, as well as employers, as the technology gave individuals the means to get together, organise and empower themselves without official help.

"I have actually sat in industrial dispute talks where one of the parties has been tweeting about them," Mr Harwood said.

"Such conduct is a threat to the confidentially of talks, and also raises the question of whether there should be a new code of behaviour for using social media in disputes."

Although he stressed the importance of social media to many firms for boosting business Mr Harwood believed most employers had yet to introduce an official policy for their staff.

He pointed out a similar situation occurred when email was first introduced, with companies eventually catching up.

Mr Harwood, who was giving his talk at an event hosted by Wood Holmes, said: "Many businesses are already tapping in to social media to market themselves, and others have plans to do so.

"In seizing this potential, employers want their workers to be skilled, knowledgeable and at ease with using the plethora of screen technology that's now in the workplace.

"But, of course, as we've seen in a steady flow of embarrassing and sometimes high-profile cases, those skills can be used in a negative way.

"Backbiting is nothing new. It's human nature. But what is new is posting such criticism on social media websites.

"That's why employers should have a policy, agreed in consultation with staff and trade unions, so everyone in that company or organisation, understands the dos and don'ts of using the internet, blogs and social media both inside and outside of work."

Acas has launched a guide http://www.acas.org.uk/socialnetworking