Networking the gig economy: options for the future of work

Being a self-employed freelancer is great. You find your passion, build your own business, and manage yourself. That’s until you need a sick day on a deadline, when clients don’t pay on time and there is little time and support to grow your business. Freelancers need to make their own arrangements regarding taxation, superannuation, and insurance. They also need to form and maintain their own networks of collaborators and customers. It doesn’t always work for everyone all the time. In fact, the Australian Senate commissioned an inquiry due to its concern that ‘on-demand workers form one of the most disadvantaged worker groups in Australia’.

Freelancers are here to stay so how can we co-create a better future? Come along to be inspired by an expert panel who will unpack the issues, explore new ways that freelancers can come together, and find out if emerging technologies and concepts including web3, tokens and DAO (Digital Autonomous Organisations) could provide some infrastructure to make it happen.

Join experts, activists, thinkers and practitioners for a wide-ranging conversation:

John Paller founder and steward of US-based Opolis – digital employment co-operative
Godfrey Moase – United Workers Union leader (and co-founder of CoPower)
Julian Waters-Lynch – RMIT Lecturer who has been exploring the potential for organising autonomous, authentic and creative labour amid a community of workers
Rebecca Stewart - Freelance Illustrator - Rebecca creates book illustration, editorial, concept development and comics from her studio in the Nicholas Building, Melbourne.
Maize Wallin - Melbourne based composer, sound designer, audio programmer and co-founder of Australia's national trade union for games workers

Moderated by Antony McMullen co-founder of Co-operative Bonds who along with Pete Cohen is actively working on establishing a co-operative of freelancers with the support of RMIT’s Centre for Future Skills and Workforce Transformation.