On September 24, I presented the abstract of the study titled "From Employee to Techno-Serf: The Organizing Practices of Motorcycle Couriers in Türkiye" at the 18th National Social Sciences Congress. This national event was organized by the Turkish Social Sciences Association (TSSA) at Middle East Technical University (METU) from September 24-26, 2025. I derived this work from the organization section of my doctoral dissertation.
The paper discusses how platform-based motorcycle couriers, the visible face of the digital age on the streets, have become precarious and transformed into "techno-serfs" by being excluded from traditional union structures through the "self-employed courier" model. Drawing on the findings of a qualitative doctoral study, the research indicates that couriers direct their pursuit of rights toward alternative channels such as associations and social media formations; however, it is noted that these structures exhibit a highly fragmented landscape. Consequently, the study concludes that although these organizing practices possess the potential for spontaneous resistance, they fail to generate a sustainable bargaining power capable of transforming the structural domination of platforms due to ideological divisions and a lack of institutional tools.
The congress book of abstracts (ISBN: 978-975-6245-05-7) has been published in both digital and print formats. To access information regarding the congress program, please click on the book cover image below.
Yücel, O. Ü. (2025). İşçiden teknoserfe: Türkiye'de motokuryelerin örgütlenme pratikleri. In B. Yeşilyurt & E. Altuntaş (Eds.), 18. Ulusal Sosyal Bilimler Kongresi özet bildiri kitabı (pp. 55-56). Türk Sosyal Bilimleri Yayını.