Established ideas of British workers cannot be altered simply by presenting them with the facts about co‐operatives, particularly when some of these facts appear to strip away…
Abstract
Established ideas of British workers cannot be altered simply by presenting them with the facts about co‐operatives, particularly when some of these facts appear to strip away hard‐earned privileges. The suggestion that co‐operative formation should only be pursued when there is a suitable workforce is one solution, though this is to guarantee that co‐operatives will never grow into a sizeable sector of our economy. The case of the Scott Bader takeover of Synthetic Resins Limited in Liverpool (1982) illustrates clearly a clash between the co‐operative ideal and the conventionally managed, traditionally unionised British norm. The confrontation of trade unions and co‐operatives in such circumstances, in the absence of guidelines, will see ensuing conflict; positive results from such conflict are unlikely as both sides will be talking a different language.
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John Stirling, Mary Mellor and Janet Hannah
For many, co‐operatives represent a challenge to existing systems of industrial relations and organisation structure. However, many of the co‐operatives which have been formed in…
Abstract
For many, co‐operatives represent a challenge to existing systems of industrial relations and organisation structure. However, many of the co‐operatives which have been formed in recent years do not approximate to this vision, since they have not been set up from an ideological standpoint. Co‐operatives can be divided into three types: small business; participative; ideological. It is also important to evaluate their development against the reasons for their evolution. Indeed, the new co‐operatives are ideologically diverse, organisationally different, and a considerable way off being the job generators of the future.