Page 964 - Week 03 - Thursday, 7 April 2022
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Consegne Etiche is a standout example of how alternative business models such as co-operatives can resist the trend towards disconnected and insecure gig work. Co-ops are people-centred organisations that are owned and run by and for their members, for the purpose of achieving a shared economic, social and cultural goal. Bologna is renowned for its strong network of co-op businesses. They produce a third of the gross domestic product. When two out of every three workers are co-op members, you know that you have a business model that is working really well. In this city, co-ops provide important social services like housing, early education and aged care in a way that eliminates the centralised bureaucracy and builds relationships between workers and consumers.
Mr Davis is leading this motion in his capacity as the ACT Greens spokesperson for business and the night-time economy. His interest in this topic stems from research that demonstrates that co-ops are often more resilient to economic downturns than their for-profit counterparts. Given the current post-COVID economic and social climate, it is really important we investigate different ways of supporting community-building and making sure that we still have job security.
The ACT already has a lot of amazing co-ops. I would love us to have more co-ops, just like Bologna. So this motion calls on the ACT government to find out what Bologna is doing to make it a world leader in the co-op industry and, after undertaking the research, to consider establishing an ongoing dialogue or a formal partnership with Bologna. A strong relationship between our two cities would help develop a culture of co-ops in Canberra.
The motion also calls on the government to provide accessible information on the establishment of co-ops and other alternative business models that prioritise workers’ rights and return dividends to the workers and the communities delivering social goods. It calls on the government to explore the utility of establishing a unit within the government to assist prospective co-ops to navigate the processes to establish their businesses. And it calls on the government to investigate the potential benefits and the appropriate mechanisms for providing financial assistance to the formation or transformation of co-ops.
Businesses can be driven by values and not just by profit. Co-ops share internationally agreed principles, and they act together to build a better world through cooperation. Putting fairness, equality and social justice at the heart of their businesses, co-ops around the world are allowing people to work together to create sustainable enterprises that generate long-term job security and prosperity. They allow people to take control of their economic future. Because they are not owned by shareholders, the economic and social benefits of the co-op stay in the local community. Profits that are generated are either reinvested in the business or are returned to the members.
The flourishing of co-ops at the moment is intricately linked to economic challenges and crises due to their governance structures and is tied into the fact that co-ops prioritise members’ interests and goals over the maximisation of profits. We have seen this happen a lot during history. Over the last 150 years, waves of new co-ops have appeared after major global disruptions. Examples include consumer co-ops that
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