Online Workers

Abstract

The focus shifts in this chapter towards online workers. It first differentiates between microworkers and online freelancers, discussing the role of automation and the technical composition of these kinds of work. The chapter contrasts the challenges of organising in this kind of work with transport platforms, particularly the lack of opportunities to meet face-to-face. It draws attention to the digital networks that form around this work in response to the challenges of the labour process. Recent struggles involving Amazon Mechanical Turk and Rev (transcription) workers show the potential for these workers to coordinate and build shared subjectivities through online communication. This case study is explored as an example with a significantly more challenging technical composition, yet shows how new moments of struggle are still coming to the fore.