Fantasies on how to strike – II

plat·form an organization in which cooperation and deliberation between different groups is established, or where trade is negotiated.

Fantasies on how to Strike is a film and research project on precarious labour in the Netherlands. The research concerns different types of work that are increasingly insecure and unlivable. While part I (2019) looked at the work of museum attendants, part  II (work in progress) focuses on the work of Uber cab drivers.

Together with a small group of cab drivers, we investigate how to visualize what it means to work as an Uber driver. What does life look like when you drive for Uber? Why do so many drivers feel trapped by Uber? Being an entrepreneur sounds attractive, but to whom exactly? How can we resist exploitation by Uber and the government as their ally? Can we fantasize about this together?

What if work would pay enough? What if a four-day work week would be sufficient? What if apps for platform labor would indeed function as a platform? If 30% of every gig wouldn’t be taken by a small group of ‘venture capitalists’? What if there’d be ample time left to live? Can we fantasize together about how work could be different?