Berlin Tech Workers Coalition Statute

1

1.1

This document defines:

1.2

The statute exists to foster participation in Berlin TWC by creating a transparent and democratic decision making framework.

1.3

The primary goal of Berlin TWC is the empowerment of Tech Workers in their industry and in the society at large, in solidarity with other workers. Power here is understood as the capability of collectives to shape their own companies, governments. This goal will be pursued through workers’ organisation, workers’ education and the progressive liberation of technological production.

The application and modification of this document must be driven by the principles of fairness, horizontality, inclusivity, organisational growth and safety of the participants.

1.3.1

The members of Berlin TWC should be considered equal among each other and equal to every other worker. A member is expected to show solidarity to other workers through the pursuit of the organisation’s goals. Every member strives to contribute to the best of their knowledge and strength

1.4

The work conducted by and for Berlin TWC should aim to be transparent within the organisation itself. While a degree of autonomy is granted to individuals and teams for operative purposes, sharing and reporting the activities conducted must be held as a high-priority aspect of one’s own participation in Berlin TWC.

1.5

Modifications to this document can be proposed to the assembly and can be passed with a majority of (3/4)+1.

2

2.1

A Berlin TWC assembly is a meeting that is defined by a date, a location (physical or digital) and an agenda produced by the Coordination team (defined later).

2.2

A member of Berlin TWC is a person that has been ratified during an assembly.

2.2.1

The requirements apply for membership applications:

The sponsor can present your application and vouch that you have participated in the past.

Any member of the assembly can raise a case against the applicant. If one or more cases are raised, the assembly must vote to confirm or reject the applicant. A rejected applicant can apply again after three months.

During an assembly, a member can raise a motion to revoke someone’s membership, if they have acted against the interests and principles of Berlin TWC. To revoke a membership, a member must raise a case that will be discussed in the assembly to revoke or confirm the membership.

2.2.2

Members that participate in the assembly have the right to vote. A simple majority is sufficient to approve any decision, unless specified otherwise. The vote is collected by a show of hands.

2.2.3

It is responsibility of the Coordination Team to handle a membership registry. The registry must exist in at least two physical copies. The registry contains a list of IDs of TWC Members together with notes on non-identifying personal physical details. A member receives its ID after the approval vote. It also receives a membership card with the ID printed on it.

The IDs in the registry should never be paired with identifying or sensitive information.

2.2.4

During a voting session, if the members of the assembly believe that a person participating in the voting session is not a member of Berlin TWC, they can request the validation of the membership.

The validation requires the following steps:

2.3

Every proposal must be submitted to the Coordination team at least 3 days before the assembly. A proposal should be in the form of a binding statement that can be either approved or rejected. If the statement binds a specific team, it must be said explicitly.

3

A team is a self-organised group of Berlin TWC members. A member can belong to zero or more teams. Every team must have at least one credentials holder (defined later) with the tools necessary for the team to perform their tasks.

Every team must guarantee total transparency to the assembly for any matter that impacts Berlin TWC. Failure to do so, once acknowledged by the assembly, will automatically trigger a disband vote.

The assembly respects the organisational autonomy of a team as long as no other team or Berlin TWC is impacted.

Participation in a team of a member is decided by the group itself according to their internal needs and preferences.

3.1

A team is created in an assembly through vote. The responsibilities and capabilities of the team must be clearly specified. These can be expanded or restricted through an assembly vote. The creation of a team can be specified in the Agenda as a self-standing item or as part of a wider proposal. The vote for the creation of a team can be held without inserting it into any Agenda if the discussion of a proposal suggests it as a necessity. The proposal for the creation of a team must include its initial members.

3.2

A team can be disbanded by the assembly through a majority vote. To disband a team, a member must raise a case that will be discussed in the assembly to disband or confirm the team. After a period of three months of inactivity, a vote may be taken on whether to disband the team.

3.2.1

A member of a team is expected to notify other team members in the case of a change in their ability to perform duties.

3.3

The following teams hold a special status in Berlin TWC. They must exist at all times and if disbanded by the assembly, a vote to create them with different members must be held in the same assembly.

4

A credential is defined as a digital or analog capability to access, use, or control a system, location, or digital account belonging to Berlin TWC. A credential can be a High Security Credential(HSC) or a Low Security Credential(LSC).

LSC can be freely circulated among Berlin TWC’s Members but cannot be shared with non-members.

HSC can be entrusted to a Member by the assembly through a vote and cannot be shared freely by the credential holder.

Social media accounts, server credentials, and storage of sensitive Berlin TWC data must be regarded as HSC.

5

Every Berlin TWC is covered by the [Berlin Code of Conduct]. Unacceptable behaviours under the Code of Conduct will be dealt with by the Coordination Team.