"The upstart unions taking on the gig economy and outsourcing", 19 January 2020

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... United Voices of the World [is] a new trade union of mostly precariously employed migrant workers at the heart of a movement disrupting labour organising... UVW action[s are] jubilant, noisy, confrontational and uncompromising, led by workers at the sharp end of insecure, low-waged employment.

The upstart unions are a reflection of several powerful trends in modern economies such as the UK’s. As insecure and gig economy work becomes more common, especially among migrant and young workers, newer groups are developing to meet demand from workplaces with few protections...

Since it was founded in 2014, UVW has organised more than 20 workplaces and won in-house contracts, wage rises or sick pay at organisations... It now has more than 3,000 members... Its sister union, Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain, has 4,800 members. It has challenged Uber’s classification of drivers as“partners” in court and won pay rises and recognition rights for couriers’ unions...

While the upstart unions have scored notable successes, they face challenges both from outsourcing groups and gig-economy companies... and from mainstream unions suspicious of their tactics...