Designing digital system to support participation and democratic practice within trade unions in the age of platform capitalism

我的研究试图探索以下研究问题：1.零工经济中工会成员在组织中面临的挑战和参与障碍是什么？2.设计和技术如何提高零工经济中工会成员的参与度？3.设计和技术如何支持零工经济中工会组织中的民主问责机制？零工经济和平台资本主义改变了工作的性质。就业的变化导致在数字经济中完成工作的人和拥有他们工作的平台的人之间的不平衡越来越严重。过去，工人依靠主流工会大会(TUC)下属的工会行使集体权力，带来积极的变化。然而，随着工作性质的变化以及主流工会运动的作用和影响力的减弱，工人们聚集在一起，在新的非工会联盟附属工会中表达集体权力。人机交互(HCI)研究人员表明，对于许多在数字经济中工作的工人来说，在数字经济中工作的一部分涉及到权力失衡，这会导致与数字经济中的工作相关的社会危害和人力成本。人机交互研究人员与不同的团体--从地方政府机构合作伙伴到第三部门的组织和非政府组织--合作，共同创造和共同生产新的和新的技术。然而，之前关于那些在数字经济中工作的人生产技术的研究是有限的。通常，使用的平台和技术是为工人生产的，而不是工人。导致了现有的以牺牲完成工作的人为代价来产生利润的制度。这加剧了平台的人力成本，并对主要的社会问题产生了负面影响。这个博士的目标是创造新的技术，这些技术是与零工经济中的工人共同设计的，这些工人是代表数字经济工作人员的工会的成员。工会成员在他们所在的特定行业的分支机构，参与基于他们工作的公司的运动和行动。超出个人活动的参与程度是有限的。这项研究旨在了解参与的障碍，并利用新的数字技术应对发现的问题，以解决限制对其负责的民主结构的因素。本博士将探索如何使用新的数字技术来增加参与和加强工会内部的民主问责。通过与一个致力于在数字经济中组织工人的工会合作，这位博士旨在设计新的数字系统，以支持其组织内表达民主权力的普通成员资格。这一博士学位将与工会成员一起设计和实施系统，使成员能够参与工会的决策过程。这项工作的目的是建立一个系统，缩短工人与代表他们的结构之间的距离，并提高问责机制的效力。

My research seeks to explore the following Research Questions:1. What are the challenges and barriers to participation are faced by members of trade unions in organising in the gig economy?2. How can design and technology increase participation amongst trade union members organizing in the gig economy?3. How can design and technology support democratic accountability mechanisms within trade unions organizing in the gig economy?The gig economy and platform capitalism, have changed the nature of work. The changes in employment have resulted in a growing imbalance between those who complete the work in the digital economy and those who own the platforms they work on. In the past workers have relied on the mainstream Trades Union Congress (TUC) affiliated trade unions to exercise collective power and bring about positive change. However the changing nature work and the diminishing role and influence of the mainstream trade union movement have seen workers have come together to express collective power in new non TUC affiliated trade unions.Human Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers have shown-that for many workers part of working in the digital economy involves being subject to power imbalances that contribute to the social harm and human cost that is related to work in the digital economy.HCI researchers have worked with various groups-from local government institutional partners to organisations in the third sector and NGOs- to co-create and co-produce new and novel technology. However previous research with those working in the digital economy to produce technology is limited. Often the platforms used and the technologies used are produced for workers- not with workers. Resulting in systems that exist to produce profit at the expense of those who complete the work. This exacerbates the human cost of the platforms and contributes negatively to major societal issues.This PhD aims to produce novel technologies that have been co-designed with workers within the 'gig economy' who are members of a trade union that represents those who work in the digital economy.Members of the trade union are in branches for their particular industry and take part in campaigns and actions that are based around the company they work for. The levels of participation beyond individual campaigns is limited. This research aims to understand the barriers to participation and respond to the issues uncovered using novel digital technologies to address the factors that limit access to the democratic structures that are accountable to them.This PhD will explore how novel digital technology can be used to increase participation and strengthen democratic accountability within trade unions. By partnering with a trade union engaged in organising workers in the digital economy, this PhD aims to design novel digital systems that support the rank and file membership express democratic power within their organisation. This PhD will work with members of a trade union to design and implement systems that enable members to take part in the decision making processes of the trade union. This works aims to produce systems that reduce distance between workers and the structures that represent them and increase the efficacy of accountability mechanisms.