Win-win trade unions and worker cooperatives

1. Win-win trade unions and worker cooperatives Maximizing social and economic potential in worker cooperatives: Social dialogue for better working conditions and sustainable business performance Marina Monaco – Gianluca Pastorelli

2. Scope, methodology, aim of the analysis Desk and direct research in Italy France United Kingdom Spain • The relationship trade union – worker cooperative movements: tied although sometimes controversial - Shared values and methods but also - Criticisms emerged from the field research • Social dialogue as a ground for overcoming emerged criticisms • Conditions for effective worker involvement and dialogue for • Fostering innovation and competitiveness while • Enhancing good working conditions • EU policy background: EU2020, SBI, Social Innovation, Social Investment Funds

3. A shared set of values • Historical and ideological commonalities between TU and coop movements • Coops and Labour: the “mutualistic exchange” • Economic and industrial democracy/mutual responsibility and commitment/CSR and integrated approach for sustainable companies • Wealth and social aims • Freedom, individual dignity/ social cohesion and inclusion/ legality and security • Individual and collective development • Attention to people and to the community

4. A distinctive value-based scenario in the industrial relations perspective • Set of values: identitary feature of “genuine” cooperative model • The industrial relations “arena” : distinctively characterised (higher unionisation rate, low degree of conflict, high collective bargaining coverage, high percentage of open-ended employment contracts, legality and respect of rules) • Role of cooperative organisations: interest representation, (somewhere) social dialogue, guidance, support and supervision

5. Value-based distinctiveness: collective bargaining and social dialogue • Preferential dialogue with public institutions (IT, UK, FR, SP) based on • Recognition of coops' role as both economic and social players • A series of shared goals • Attempt to reproduce typical, peculiar distinctive values/features in industrial relations: • Collective bargaining: autonomous paths at different levels of quantitative AND qualitative relevance (overall good working conditions) • The participatory method: worker involvement, social dialogue, industrial democracy, widespread both formal and informal exchange

6. Criticisms in the relationship • The fall of the “quadrilateral” relations: TU – coops – politics – public authority • The pressure of the global market and the economic crisis: anti-cyclic dynamics vs cost-cutting and reduction of rights • Fragmentation issues: the risk of social dumping • Collective bargaining structure: jeopardising effectiveness of minimum standards • Interest representation: TUs between internal conflict and pluralism; representativeness: “pirate” agreements; • Coops: representativeness; “pirate” agreements; unilateral cancellation of collective agreements; “fake cooperatives” • Position and working conditions of worker members: collective bargaining and protection as employees VS autonomy

7. Relaunching competitiveness while protecting labour rights and decent working conditions • A combination of economic and social needs: TU & coops collaborating • Democracy and culture of labour: innovation strategies and greater competitiveness • Competitiveness pursued not at detriment of workers' rights: human resources first → industrial strategy and company culture → consciousness and responsibility → integrated responses • Methodological key: participatory method (TU, Coops, PA) • “concertazione”, social dialogue, worker involvement

8. The collective dimension • Safeguard and implementation of collective bargaining standards (IT) • Joint actions and bill for regional legislation in Emilia Romagna against exploitation and social dumping in tenders and subcontracting • Provincial and regional observatory on cooperatives • Assets seized to organised crime put back to community and work: the experience of Libera Terra: jobs and legality • Supply of services of general interest and job creation: Wales Cooperative Centre and the promotion of the cooperative culture • French “cooperative shock” and business transmission

9. Trade Union role: • Collectivization of interests • Partnerships in joint protocols, relevant interlocutor with PA • Support to public supervisory authorities • Promotion of cooperative culture • Provision of education, training, knowledge and expertise • Awareness raising, campaign, political support • Counseling

10. The company dimension • Innovation rationale: industrial and organisational strategies with worker involvement as a key for workplace innovation • Enhancement of human resources, innovation and sustainable development: Formula Servizi • Efficiency of organised satellite cooperative suppliers and professional development: Consortium Euro2000 • Strategies of participation and solidarity: CMB

11. Trade union support • Active interest representation of all workers • Assistance to member workers • Training • Collective bargaining at company level • Opportunities and locations for active information, consultation and participation • The role of trade union representatives for health and safety • TU net and relations with the territory and impact on public opinion

12. Win-win relationship: pathways for combining economic sustainability and decent work • Company culture based on shared values (education) • A clear framework of rules: the role of collective bargaining • Awareness, consciousness and responsibility (all workers) • Putting into value decisional autonomy (substantial democracy) • All worker involvement • Relations with management • Community dimension • Transparency and mutual trust • Concreteness