Worker and Platform Cooperative Network

[This is a working title, we can change it later on]

Purpose of this Page

• Provide a holding space and informal network for those interested in this to get in touch with the network [A wiki is more discoverable than a Google Doc, which has the same functionality, and at some point we would want to let people discover this group and join up. We can move to a better platform in the future if there is a need to ].
• Provide an index to resources useful for those who want to start a worker-owned or platform cooperative in Singapore. We hope to share, but also makes it easy for all members to contribute to the knowledge base, so that we can benefit from a collective effort.

Members and Membership Rules

[These are tentative suggestions for all of us to consent to]

• Members are those who have a deep interest in starting, running or championing worker/platform coops for the purpose of generating greater economic inclusion.
• Associate members are those that members vouch for and introduce to the network. This way, the group can grow organically based on member referrals, or through people getting in touch directly. (Taking a leaf out of Enspiral, you can be an associate member when a member trusts you. You become a full member when all of the members trust you).
• All decisions related to the purpose and structure of the network will be collective decided, through consent. I propose we adopt sociocracy or consent for the purpose of decision-making and organsing.
• [We can also think about whether the information below on individual projects should be restricted or can be shared more broadly. For now, I'll assume it is ok to share your plans and interests, and let me know to take it out if you have any concerns.]

Members

• Fang Xinwei (Singapore Children's Society)
• Vincent Ng (A Good Space)
• Kenneth Heng, Lewin Low (Solve N+1)
• Simon Siah (Qurious consulting)
• Justin Lee (IPS Policy Lab)
• Leon Lim (?)
• Unsu (ask if he wants to be kept in the loop?)

To invite as associates (?)

• Alex Shieh [SNCF]
• Jack Qiu from NUS CNM who does research on platform coops; knows Trebor Scholz. (But now we are also connected to Trebor and can ask him directly if we need him to point us somewhere).
• Base of Pyramid Hub - they had some interest in platform coops if I remember correctly, Vincent can tell us more, there was some palftorm coop module they were involved in. Started by Jack Sim (World Toilet Organisation). They seem to do incubation and venture building.
• CSSGP - I'm hoping they may be a possible IT partner or intermediary for those who are keen to start platform coops.

Member Projects

[We can decide whether we are comfortable sharing this or not; putting some basic information may help you find partners; interest relevant stakeholders. We could provide a status update, what stage, whether you are looking for funding, support, research, volunteers etc.]

Lobang Coop

[Xinwei]

Cleaning worker-owned coop

[Kenneth Heng]

Social Tours Co-op (?)

[Justin Lee, Vincent?]

Technical Assistance for worker coops

(Become Baltimore Roundtable of SG) Kenneth

Simon Siah interested as well; has been in touch with Heartland enterprise team on improving social fabric beyond economic contribution.

Support a Pilot Project on a worker/platform coop

[IPS Policy Lab]

Collective Projects

[To suggest and then consent to]

1-Policy Brief on Potential of Worker / Platform Coops as vehicle for social mobility and economic inclusion

Contributors

• IPS Policy Lab
• SNCF
• Jack Qui of NUS CNM
  

2-Workshop on Platform Co-ops?

Consult with a platform coop to equip with technical and organizational expertise required to start one based on what Xinwei is trying to start by asking Trebor for referral and links.Xinwei maybe able to pay for consultation. [IPS Policy Lab can offer to host a closed-door discussion if Xinwei wants to oepn it to the members or associate members of this network??]

3-Creating a Shared Knowledge-Base?

Consolidate a knowledge base of how to set up worker / platform cooperatives so that those interested in the issue can become informed, but also benefit from the efforts of others trying to do this in Singapore

Resources / Shared Knowledge Base

[This is a really bad way of making the knowledge base sharable or 'contributable' by everyone...we make do for now and discuss later.I just throw in stuff I had lying around and had no time to go clean up and take stock off. We could also just do a simple repository, which is a place where we park info, but in my experience it just gets messy. We could see if an index or catalogue works better. Over time, we can provide a narrative structure making sense of needs, gaps, possible ways forward for this sector later on.]

A Google Doc Cataloguing General Info on Cooperatives

A Google Doc with information specially on Worker-owned Cooperatives