09:00 Friday, 13 October 2023

What's next for Berlin tech works councils?

The Berlin Tech Workers Coalition will host the largest English speaking and tech worker-led conference in Germany, together with our trade unions ver.di B+B and IG Metall Berlin.

Friday, 13 October is open for all Works Council members (registration required). As a Works Council training per BetrVG 37(6), you can do this training during working hours, and conference fee is paid by your employer. Registration is mandatory. Find further instructions here. Email us conference@techworkersberlin.com if you have questions!

Saturday, 14 October is free of cost and open for all tech workers. It will have both a broader focus on social movements, trade union organising and political education. Fill out the form below to register for the Saturday portion. Some people will want to attend both portions of conference, while others attend one of them.

Registration

  • October 13 Works council training, register here.
  • October 14 All Tech Workers – register via the form below

This is our second conference, read about the first edition. Last year participants gathered at IG Metall’s Berlin office, this year’s conference will take place at ver.di’s headquarter in Berlin.

Group photo of Tech Workers Conference from last year

We are bringing 100+ English speaking tech workers from 50+ companies together for a two day conference in Berlin. Year round, we regularly network and stay in touch with each other. The conference is an opportunity to celebrate each others’ milestones, successes and learnings over the year.

There will be interactive workshops, discussions, and the opportunity to activate your workplaces. Topics include societal issues like rent, inflation, ecology and practical workplace issues like surveillance, gender pay gap, mass-layoffs and migrant organising.

The conference is open to tech workers of all experiences and engagement levels from beginners to expert. If you are interested in speaking/presenting on a specific topic, please get in touch with us, we have a few slots remaining!

If you have further questions or are interested in attending, you can get in touch with conference@techworkersberlin.com for further info.

13 October Schedule

Time Panel
08:00 ☕️ Morning Check in
09:00 Introduction and Welcome
10:00 Ice Breaker and Issue Identification Workshop
Antje Dieterich (she/her), ver.di
Phoebe Schmidt (she/they), Contentful Works Council
12:00 🥙 Lunch including vegetarian/vegan food
13:00 Workshop 1: Works Council Communication with Co-workers in Mobile/Remote Scenarios
yv (they/them), former works council chair
Raphael Kamps (he/him), G.IBS
13:00 Workshop 2: Legal Framework for Collaboration between Works Councils and Trade Unions
Janine Kaldeweier (she/her), Lawyer, DKA
Yonatan Miller (he/him), ShareNow Works Council Chair
Joey Rosenberger (he/him), Telekom Youth Council
13:00 Workshop 3: Workers’ Profile Rights and Algorithmic Surviellance
Maike Pricelius (she/her), G.IBS
Prof. Phoebe Moore (she/her), University of Essex, Essex Business School

13:00 Workshop 4: What is a Finance Committee and its role in downsizing scenarios?
Dr. Adrian Mengay (he/him), Forba
14:45 ☕️ Coffee break
15:00 Workshop 5: Works Agreements on Mobile Work: Risks and Opportunities
Britta Berlet (she/her), CARIAD Works Council Chair
Jordan Coll (he/him), SoundCloud Works Council
Thomas Weber (he/him), IG Metall
15:00 Workshop 6: The Works Council’s Role in Workplace Downsizing Scenarios (Mass Layoffs)
Yonatan Miller (he/him), ShareNow Works Council Chair
Artur (he/him), Klarna Works Council
Daniel Weidmann (he/him), Lawyer, DKA
15:00 Workshop 7: Data Protection in the Works Council Office: Duties of the Works Council and its Members
Micha Heilmann (he/him), Lawyer, DKA
17:00 Reflection and Closing
18:00-22:00 Get Together and Celebrate
Eiswerk Berlin
Koepenicker str. 40-41.
Food and drinks provided.

14 October Schedule

Time Panel
10:30 ☕️ Welcoming Words
11:15 Interactive activity and setting the stage
Kay Alave (she/her), Data Engineer
Carolina Cabrera John (she/they), Data Analyst
12:15 🥙 Lunch including vegetarian/vegan food
13:00 Panel: Collective Bargaining – Success Stories from the Real World
Moderation: Jax Hudspeth (she/they), HelloFresh Works Council
Silvia Habekost (she/her), Nurse at a Berlin hospital and ver.di
A member of collective bargaining committee at ASML and IGMetall
14:30 Workshop 1: Climate Change and Tech
*Moderation: Malene Guergen (she/her), Journalist
Amira Moeding (they/them, she/her), PhD Student, University of Cambridge
Ongoo Buyanjargal (she/her), union organizer
Dr. Daniel Gutiérrez (he/him), ver.di secretary *
14:30 Workshop 2: Transnational Organizing, Challenges, and Opportunities. How to go about a transnational campaign?
Moderation: Yonatan Miller (he/him), Share Now Works Council Chair
HelloFresh
Marta Rozmysłowicz (she/her), coordinator with IP, a Polish affiliate of Amazon Workers International
14:30 Workshop 3: Sexism, Gender Pay Gap, and How We Can Win
Moderation: Deanna Knudsen (she/her), HelloFresh Works Council
Dr. Adrian Mengay (he/him), Forba
Luisa Rodrigues (she/they), Klarna Works Council
14:30 Workshop 4: The Deutsche Wohnen & co. Expropriation Campaign, the Berlin Housing Crisis, and How You Can Get Involved
Lily Cichanowicz (she/her), Right to the City
Ian Clotworthy (he/him), Deutsche Wohnen & Co. Enteignen
16:00 Report back and Commitments for Future Projects
16:30 Closing

Venue

ver.di Berlin-Brandenburg, Paula-Thiede-Ufer 10

Code of Conduct

All meetings and communications are covered under the Berlin Code of Conduct. The privacy and safety of our members is important to us. Sharing the identity of members and or taking/sharing photos are strictly forbidden unless express consent is given.

Get involved! @TechWorkersBER