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A freelancers’ cooperative as a case of democratic institutional experimentation for better work: a case study of SMart-Belgium

Author

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  • Julien Charles

    (CESEP and Université catholique de Louvain-IACCHOS-CriDIS, Belgium)

  • Isabelle Ferreras

    (FNRS and Université catholique de Louvain-IACCHOS-CriDIS, Belgium)

  • Auriane Lamine

    (Université catholique de Louvain-JURI-CRIDES, Belgium)

Abstract

This article discusses the experimentation led by SMart in Belgium, a worker cooperative founded to support freelance artists – and subsequently extended to other freelancers – with the aim of helping them reduce four forms of uncertainties that affect such workers. Over the past 20 years, SMart has sought to secure broader access to social protections for these workers, shifting its strategies to accommodate the changes in rules set by the Belgian federal state. Today, experimentation abounds for various types of intermediation with new forms of employment, but SMart is notable for its ambition to build a cooperative firm providing the protections of wage work to beneficiaries otherwise ignored by social policies. Based on qualitative research conducted from a Deweyan perspective, and 48 in-depth interviews with SMart worker-members, the authors examine the ways in which SMart can be considered an example of democratic institutional experimentation providing collective capabilities to its worker-members in pursuit of better work.

Suggested Citation

  • Julien Charles & Isabelle Ferreras & Auriane Lamine, 2020. "A freelancers’ cooperative as a case of democratic institutional experimentation for better work: a case study of SMart-Belgium," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 26(2), pages 157-174, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:treure:v:26:y:2020:i:2:p:157-174
    DOI: 10.1177/1024258920919686
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Isabelle Ferreras & Ian MacDonald & Gregor Murray & Valeria Pulignano, 2020. "Introduction: institutional experimentation for better (or worse) work," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 26(2), pages 113-118, May.
    2. Birgit Apitzsch & Maximiliane Wilkesmann & Caroline Ruiner & Mona Bassyiouny & Ronny Ehlen & Lena Schulz, 2023. "Labour market collectivism: New solidarities of highly skilled freelance workers in medicine, IT and the film industry," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(4), pages 1149-1175, November.
    3. Isabelle Ferreras & Ian MacDonald & Gregor Murray & Valeria Pulignano, 2020. "Einleitung: Institutionelles Experimentieren für bessere (oder schlechtere) Arbeit," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 26(2), pages 127-134, May.
    4. Gregor Murray & Christian Lévesque & Glenn Morgan & Nicolas Roby, 2020. "Disruption and re-regulation in work and employment: from organisational to institutional experimentation," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 26(2), pages 135-156, May.
    5. Isabelle Ferreras & Ian MacDonald & Gregor Murray & Valeria Pulignano, 2020. "L’expérimentation institutionnelle au travail, pour le meilleur (ou pour le pire)," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 26(2), pages 119-125, May.
    6. Justine Monique Florine Ballon & Thomas Blondeel & Marius Chevallier & Orville Pletschette, 2023. "Bringing democracy to life in cooperatives: ongoing experiments. The cases of Railcoop and SmartCoop," Post-Print hal-04576634, HAL.

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