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Contrary to popular belief, tech workers in the IT industry are receptive to collective representation and cooperation with trade unions.
The case study from Israel shows that restructuring of the industry and the resulting uncertainty opens the door for smart union approaches to support workers and, eventually, collective bargaining.
At other tech companies, issues of identity, experiences of discrimination, concern for the environment and the impact of company policies have been connected with labour issues.
This is how new unions have emerged, inter alia at Google. When YouTube, the largest video-sharing platform, unilaterally launched new policies (so-called "shadow bans"), it propelled many professional content creators at YouTube into a precarious financial position.
Mirko Herberg+49 (0)30 26935-7458
Julia Schultz+49 (0)30 26935-7493
unionstransform(at)fes.de
How did they respond? They organised themselves in the YouTubers Union to exchange information, discuss changes to the platform and organise campaigns. This hitherto innovative form of self-organisation at an Internet giant has boosted its effectiveness through the partnership with IG Metall.
The broad-based FairTube campaign successfully negotiated more rights, more transparency and more participation in the company.
Stories of unions confronting the new world of work / Editors: Uta Dirksen and Mirko Herberg. - Berlin : Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Global Policy and Development, April 2021. - 76 Seiten = 2,6 MB PDF-File. - Einheitssacht.: Gewerkschaften im Wandel 4.0 . - Electronic ed.: Berlin : FES, 2021ISBN 978-3-96250-880-7
Download (PDF) (2,6 MB PDF-File)
If you don't have time to read all the publications but still want to find out about the keyresults, we recommend the Short Stories Booklet: in it you will find the essence of the results presented in short articles.
¿No tienes tiempo para leer todo el estudio? Ahorra tiempo y mantente informado con este resumen. Pas le temps de lire toute l'étude? Prenez ensuite le temps de lire le résumé. Não há tempo para ler todos os estudos? Então, reserve um tempo para ler a versão curta.
The "Trade Unions in Transformation 4.0" project was initiated by FES with the aim of better understanding the representation of workers' interests in digital capitalism. The project sheds light on how trade unions and new organisations of workers are mobilising their power resources to face and shape the emerging new world of work. FES wants to contribute to the strategy-building among workers and trade unions and is offering its cooperation.
The project highlights how workers and unions are shaping change in the industrial sectors, how tech workers are becoming part of the workers' movement, how transport workers are opposing the restructuring of their sector through platforms, and what digital tools and apps unions are developing to expand their power in the digital economy.
