How workers in Czechia are taking on Big Tech – and winning

Workers at software company Pipedrive have formed a union in Czechia following layoffs, with organizers saying most employees joined within just five days.

The move, announced on November 8, follows a similar development at Czech-founded hotel technology company Mews, where employees established a union in October after a restructuring that involved job cuts.

Both groups have joined ICT Union, an organization representing workers across Czechia's IT and call-center industries. It now lists workplace unions at 10 companies, including Microsoft, Red Hat, SUSE, Infosys, Expedia and DHL ITS.

At Pipedrive, an Estonian-founded software company with a development center in Prague, employees are preparing to negotiate severance arrangements with management.

At Mews, employees say a July reorganization prompted them to seek a stronger voice in decisions affecting their jobs.

“Mewsers in other countries are already represented by unions or have stronger labor laws,” employees posted on their union website.

The newly formed union wants to negotiate a collective agreement covering working conditions and secure a say in future layoffs and restructuring.

What Microsoft workers have already won

Microsoft employees in Czechia have already demonstrated what collective bargaining can achieve.

In August, the company's Czech branch signed a landmark collective agreement following negotiations with ICT Union. The deal covers approximately 1,300 employees and improves severance packages, pension contributions, and communication between workers and management.

It also incorporates existing protections under Czech employment law into the agreement, making those rights clearer to employees who don't speak Czech. Union information will be included in onboarding, with representatives able to meet new employees directly.

“We expect more than just an improvement in conditions at Microsoft from this contract,” ICT Union representative Barbora Müllerová said when the agreement was announced.

“The way employees at Microsoft organized themselves and successfully negotiated better conditions is, in our view, a prime example of how things should work across the wider IT sector.”

The agreement did not include negotiated pay increases, but established an 18-month framework for future bargaining.

From software developers to call-center workers

ICT Union's roots go beyond the technology companies currently making headlines.

The organization was founded in 2021 to bring together call-center and IT workers in Czechia. Its first collective action was a petition calling for improved work-from-home arrangements during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today, its membership is open to people working across the sector, including programmers, designers, data analysts, technical-support staff, call-center operators and help-desk employees.

The union holds monthly online meetings in Czech and English, where members discuss workplace concerns and decide on collective action.

Employees can join ICT Union even if their company doesn't have a workplace union. Those who want to organize at their own employer can work with colleagues to establish one.

Under Czech law, workers can join unions regardless of nationality and do not need their employer's permission. A workplace union can exercise collective bargaining rights once it meets the legal requirements, including having at least three members employed at the company.

Microsoft has already negotiated a binding agreement. Mews is seeking one, while Pipedrive's newly formed union is preparing talks over severance.

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Employee or freelancer? ICT Union welcomes people working in IT, tech support and call centers, including freelancers and self-employed workers (OSVČ). It holds meetings in Czech and English, and you can join even if your workplace doesn't have a union.

Thinking about organizing at your company? Explore ICT Union's workplace directory to see where workers have already established representation and how to get involved.