1. Worker Co-operatives in the UK Bob Cannell
Workers Cooperative

2. Worker co-operatives are businesses that are owned and democratically controlled by their employee members using co-operative principles.

3. How Many? Europe - 50,000 worker coops 1.4 million employees
UK members employees
USA worker coops but many ESOPs
Italy in Emilia Romagna alone
France worker coops
Spain - more than 20,000
China India South America - unknown but many thousands (25,000 in Brazil alone ?)

4. John Lewis Partnership
UK’s largest worker owned business
John Lewis 29 department stores
Waitrose 233 supermarkets
£7 billion sales
Owned by a trust for the benefit of the 69,000 ‘partners’
Founded 1864

5. 5

6. Suma www.suma.coop founded 1977 £30 million turnover unbroken growth
125 members)
unbroken growth
100% self-financed
collective management
no MD, no Chief Exec 6

7. is a wholefoods Co-operative,
Suma Wholefoods
is a wholefoods Co-operative,
We promote a healthier lifestyle
by supplying fairtrade, vegetarian and organic products of the
highest quality

8. 8

11. Democracy or Business Success?
Successful worker co-operatives use good business management co-operatively.
We use good business management AND good democracy.
A democratic, well managed business can out compete big corporations.
When cooperatives work together they are unbeatable.
Coops fail when they are non-democratic and/or badly managed businesses.

12. Co-operative Values and Principles
Open Membership
Democratic control
Economic participation
Autonomy & Independence
Education & Training
Cooperation between cooperatives
Community
Self-help
Self-responsibility
Democracy
Equality
Solidarity
Honesty
Openness
Social responsibility
Caring for others

13. Employment Relationships
UN International Labour Organisation recognise:
Employee
Worker cooperative member
Independent (self-employed) either sole trader or partner

14. Employment Relationships
UK law recognises:
Employee
Independent (self-employed) either sole trader or partner

15. Member Rights & Responsibilities
Rights to be heard, to be respected, to vote
Responsibilities
to take part, to develop self to take responsibility to be cooperative to communicate, to listen to prioritise the common good

16. Managing in a worker co-operative
LITTLE MANAGER AUTHORITY
“Labour hires capital” Who are the owners? What do they want?
People are not machines or ‘work units’
Collective/Democratic Authority to implement members’ wishes
Very different type of ‘management’

24. Worker Co-operative Code of Governance
The guide to running a successful
co-operative business