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https://theconversation.com/as-the-latrobe-valley-moves-away-from-coal-jobs-could-a-green-workers-cooperative-offer-a-solution-245850>
"Worker cooperatives may sound like something out of the 19th century, but they
still exist in the age of global capitalism.
In Spain, for instance, the Mondragon Corporation is a huge worker-run
cooperative based around 95 collectives – the largest cooperative in the world.
Worker cooperatives produce products or services. But they are run very
differently. Workers can become members of the cooperative they work for by
buying a share of the business. This gives them a vote in how the business is
run and a share of net income, after costs have come out.
Co-ops do not have external shareholders – the profits stay with workers.
Rather than bosses deciding and workers carrying out the tasks, worker
cooperatives are based on democratic principles. Big decisions are discussed
and then voted on, and each member gets one vote. They offer a direct way for
workers to control their production and shape the economy.
In Australia, these models peaked in the 1980s. Most are gone, though a few
older cooperatives are still running, such as Tasmanian recycling cooperative
Resource Work Collective, founded in 1993.
In recent years, there’s been renewed interest in the model. The Earthworker
cooperative network focused on Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. The goal: find new
types of employment and products in a coal area undergoing transition."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
