Trebor Scholz will talk directly about the challenges faced by platform workers, including fluctuating wages, unpredictable hours, dangerous working conditions, social isolation, and arbitrary management. Scholz is also worried about the subjugation of content moderators and social media influencers due to the lack of non-corporate digital infrastructure. Under the banner of “platform cooperativism,” new types of digital businesses have gained popularity in recent years by staying true to cooperative principles and drawing on a long history of worker struggles. Platform coops are bringing more stability, dignity, and autonomy to gig economy workers in 60 countries now, not in the distant future. Scholz will provide an update on the development of the ecosystem, the global network of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, and the impact of the work of the Platform Cooperativism 30 Consortium, PCC, its sister organizations, and associated movements.
About the conference: This year, PCC is partnering with the Institute for Technology and Society of Rio de Janeiro (ITS) to bring the PCC conference to Brazil, Latin America and beyond. ITS is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure that Brazil and the Global South respond creatively and appropriately to the opportunities afforded by technology in the digital age, and that the potential benefits of these opportunities are widely distributed throughout society. In addition to publishing analyses, hosting events, and offering courses, ITS has been at the forefront of discussions pertaining to technology and its effects on society. A forum on platform cooperativism and public policy held in Porto Alegre in June 2022 resulted in the creation of an action plan for platform cooperativism in Brazil with the aim of establishing an ecosystem of work, technologies, and local development. Inspired by the publication of Cooperativismo de Plataforma back in 2017, much important work has been done in Brazil over the past years.