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DIDANET PROJECT & CONFERENCE

Fair work in the digital age!

WHow can you have a say in algorithmic management and, above all, what steps does it take to enforce them? The platform economy is reflected in more and more areas of work. Trade unions are required to develop legal frameworks in the so-called gig economy so that significant trade union achievements do not fall under the wheels of exploitative business models.
The conference is also the final conference of the “DidaNet — Digital Danube Network” project. Over the past two years, we have worked intensively on the topics of digitization and platform work, in Austria in particular with the situation of riders, i.e. colleagues from platform-based food delivery services. The conference will be attended by co-international trade union secretaries from the project partner countries Slovenia, Serbia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as Ludovic Voet, political secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

Food and drinks will be available throughout the day. To celebrate and round off the day, there will be a cozy afterglow! This offers the opportunity for trade union networking in a relaxed atmosphere.

Dear participants! Due to the current Covid situation, we are obliged to carry out a 3G check (vaccinated, recovered, tested) upon admission. Please note the current validity period of the test. We would also like to point out that an MNS or FFP2 mask must be worn in general areas of the Catamaran and that sufficient distance must be kept. In addition, there is no mask requirement in the event room for the time being, which is why we also ask recovery and vaccinated people to carry out a test in advance if possible. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

DDigital transformation is one of the most significant developments of the 21st century. While economic operators from all sectors invest in modernizing work processes, workers are coming under increasing pressure and are confronted with a lack of low-threshold retraining or continuing education opportunities. As a result, the international department of the Austrian Trade Union Confederation focuses on transnational solidarity and, in the form of project cooperation, sets the course for the necessary involvement of working people.

Digitalization is also increasingly influencing our social living conditions and economic working conditions, with the effects being as diverse as the occupations themselves. For example, there are some who benefit from new, flexible forms of work and can thus sustainably secure their livelihood. Others, on the other hand, experience the resulting rationalization as a burden due to new technical possibilities. The increasing number of incidents of discrimination caused by algorithms is also proving to be a modern problem that needs to be overcome. Social security is increasingly denied, contributions are being reduced in some countries, as a result, workers are coming under pressure. The DidaNet project is therefore dedicated to the topic of digitization in connection with the challenges and opportunities on the labor market resulting from development. Particularly in the project partner countries, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Slovenia and the western regions of Ukraine, Transcarpathia, Chernivtsi Oblast and Ivano-Frankivsk, people are increasingly confronted with the consequences of brain drain. As a result of these developments, the so-called “digital precariat” is emerging. A growing group of affected people is working on online platforms. These, in turn, unintentionally avoid traditional employment contracts through various forms of bogus self-employment. It is the task of the main players in the labour market to evaluate the individual demands of disadvantaged people and to implement two elementary social pillars across the board: fair living and working conditions for all people in the region.