Voices of Brazilian tech workers Emerging collective actions in Brazil’s tech community

Abstract

This article explores the rise of collective action among Brazilian tech workers, drawing on snowball sampling interviews and a review of international literature on tech worker mobilisations, with a focus on the Global South. The study examines how these workers navigate the constraints of traditional union structures, such as industry-centred organisational models that rely on physical workplaces and formal labour relations, compared to the realities of remote and precarious work. It highlights how Brazil’s tech workers have embraced collective action focused on diversity within the tech industry and the ethical development of technology. The findings underscore the crucial role of grassroots initiatives, ranging from challenging cis-normative algorithmic biases within proprietary platforms to creating their own platforms. In addition, the article highlights the importance of territorial dimensions in the self-mobilisation of Brazilian tech workers, particularly through the formation of peripheral collective identities rooted in favelas and urban peripheries, alongside efforts focused on gender, race, LGBTQIAP+, and class solidarity.