Confusion and collectivism in the ICT sector: Is FLOSS the answer?

Abstract

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) workers rarely join trade unions. This is usually explained by the individualised nature of work. We examine broader forms of collectivism for these workers, drawing on survey and interview data. Our focus is on social class, attitudes towards unions and professional bodies and participation in the broader ICT community -specifically Free, Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS). The findings reveal absence of formal collective frames of reference or organisation, yet the creativity, autonomy and initiative, central to the identity of ICT workers, may offer opportunities for collectivisation particularly when we look at participation in FLOSS communities.

Being a woman in an ICT job: an analysis of the gender pay gap and discrimination in Spain

“…This can result in wage differences for similar educational skills or categories, and between companies or sectors. Trade unions are rare in the ICT sector and this situation is influenced by the individualised nature of their work (Marks et al, 2017). This context favours secrecy about salaries, which can be problematic when negotiating pay demands (Belgorodskiy et al, 2012).…”

Conceptualising employee voice in the majority world: Using multiple intellectual traditions inspired by the work of Mick Marchington

“…More recently, LPT has been used to identify how direct forms of voice can be a symptom of individualising the employment relationship to marginalise, moderate (through partnership) or remove union representation (Kaufman & Taras, 2010). With the decline of trade unionism in many countries, the field has expanded to include alternative forms of collectivism and sources of resistance (beyond strikes), as well as non‐union voice (Marks et al., 2020).…”

Labour market collectivism: New solidarities of highly skilled freelance workers in medicine, IT and the film industry

“…This points to the relevance of past power struggles and experiences in various contexts, both at work and beyond (McBride and Martinez Lucio, 2011; Martinez Lucio and Stewart, 1997). For instance, research has shown collectivism’s capacity to develop in everyday life and in regional, occupational, or professional communities (McBride, 2011; McBride and Martinez Lucio, 2011; Marks et al, 2020; Stephenson and Stewart, 2001), also in relation to community unionism as an avenue for trade union renewal (Stewart et al, 2009).…”

“…More specific starting points for a study of labour relations of contingent and in particular freelance work may be inspired by the Labour Process Theory (LPT). While interaction at the workplace is frequently viewed as a prerequisite for collectivism (Refslund and Sippola, 2022), class-based identities interact with other orientations in myriad ways and contexts and collectivism takes various forms (McBride and Martinez Lucio, 2011; Marks et al, 2020; Stephenson and Stewart, 2001).…”