Researchers on platform cooperatives short reports
Social franchising: can use trademarks, tech, on condition used for social purpose (ex Eva Coop)
A federation can be created by coops that want to pool resources. (ex Mobility Factory SCE)
Network governance.
Baig’s theories of networks, shared governance architecture any network must have.
Key takeaways
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develop social franchise agreements
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-use ‘freedom of establishment’
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balance between open membership and vetting
Protocol cooperatives, as federated entities,
Mwongela Mikwa:
The potential of platform cooperativism in Kenya. Does not currently exist.
Ther is a housing coop.
Kenya has highest use of smartphones in Africa. Tops per person phone internet in the world.
Knowledge of platform cooperativism, only 25% have any idea of what a platform coop is.
But positive feelings, if unsure how to move in that direction.
Meru county.
Minsun Ji, from South Korea
you may know that Uber is banned in South Korea, because of our protests.
Huge protests when taxi company
Two taxi workers died [in self-immolation].
Riders’ Labor Union - quick service (motorcycle delivery)
Platform economy based on gender, of 400,000, mostly very low pay. At least 65% men.
Alternate drivers’ platform cooperative
Luciana Bruno - on waste workers in Brazil unemployment shooting up on-demand services going up
Catadores - 3,100 of the estimated million in Brazil use them.
Men, identified selves as Black, much lower than average wage ($330USD month). Most in poor suburds, favelas, enen homeless.
App increased income, up to 40%. $250 to $500 month. Said didn’t have to pull heavy cart needlessly anymore. Increased business.
Created 8 what’s app groups per region.
Cataki is not a cooperative, workers do not participate in decision-making.
But most workers said they would want to
Poorer catakis may be left behind, proportion with cars is increasing.
has lot of potencial to become a platform co-op
Jonas Pentzien, Berlin
What are the legislative obstacles? (US, Germany, France)
Ended up with a long list of problems and obstacles. Got depressed. Reframed as opportunities.
Relatively easily, we could:
- (USA) Exempt co-ops from worker’s compensation statutes.
- (Germany) Provide access to KfW Loans (targeted to individual entrepreneurs)
- (all) Facilitate access to public funds
Next easiest:
- (France) Remove “Lock-In” effect of article 20 of Loi LOM
- (Germany) Facilitate digital membership for small cooperatives
Hardest:
- (all) Provide exemptions for platform co-ops from antitrust law
- Enforce a digital tax
- Remove lock-in of Loi LOM
We need both global and country-specific narratives about challenges.
https://www.platforms2share.org/
Amelia Evans
Executive director at Institute for Multi-Stakeholder Initiative Integrity Research Fellow, Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy
Changing who owns the world
Human rights, pretty well funded, completely reactive.
But human rights in corporate sector driven by corporate form,
Why isn’t move to put workers on corporate boards in tandem with cooperative efforts?
Finance. Understanding/imagination.
Need more capital to go into the existing funding vehicles.
Look at $30T in ’ethical’ finance. Basically they screen out bad companies, fossil fuel, gambling, etc. Pretty floozy screens. Do you have a human rights policy? No looking into it. And nothing about worker participation on the board.
Key questions are:
- Who are you managed by?
- Who are you owned by?
Until those are answered, can’t even start to talk about any other [type] of ethics
Break cycle:
- Debunk myths - coops can replace corporations
- Reframe Ethics
- Nurture examples - with money from ethical and traditional finance
Just a note from last night, Byers is from i’m not sure affiliation, last night she was helping cleaning up at the party.