& Meitheal Mid West

1. The Workers Cooperative Network & Meitheal Mid West

2. Sunday 17th June • A very important day - Workers Cooperative Network - The WCN • setup here in Belfast • WHO • We are a network of worker owner cooperatives in Ireland – North & South, plus supportive organisations and individuals. • WHAT • A lobby group promoting the interests of worker owner cooperatives in Ireland • WHY • To do for our families, communities & society what SUMA, Mondragon and other worker owner coop’s have done, and continue to do, for theirs. Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

3. WCN aims • To encourage coop’s in other sectors to trade with their worker owner coop cousins • To develop links with other coop sector associations in these islands and beyond. • To our larger Coop cousins, in both islands, we will gladly avail of any and all assistance you are prepared to offer us at this critical stage in our development. • Training, financial etc • To lobby the legislature (North & South) for general coop interests • We require a cooperative equivalent of InterTrade Ireland (www.intertradeireland.com) • Promotion , education & training “on the Cooperative way” in our 2nd & 3rd level colleges. • A Southern equivalent of the Northern All Party Committee on Cooperatives & Mutuals • In the South, to begin a public discourse on the disparity in treatment between • ILO-193 and CHG (Irish Financial Services Centre – Clearing House Group) Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

4. WCN - website • www.workerscooperativenetwork.org • info@workerscooperativenetwork.org Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

5. WCN • Practical developments – since setup • We are meeting with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs in Dublin. • Requesting a meeting with the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly • Acknowledge • Trademark Belfast, NICOOP Forum, Bob Cannell (SUMA) • All the members of the WCN Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

6. Meitheal Mid West • What we do • Promote the “Sustainable cooperative social business model” in the mid west. • Why we do it • Initially because we were very angry with the socioeconomic effects of the existing economic development model • Where are we now ? Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

7. Monday 18th June • The Strategic Planning Committee in Limerick City Council recommend our Coop Proposal • City Council endorsement expected next week • Branding Limerick as a “Coop City” • Incubating worker owner coop industries & services • Belfast Cleaning Cooperative • Founded 2012 • If it can work in the Shankill & the Falls then why not in South Hill & Garryowen. Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

8. Tuesday 1st May • Belfast City Council support the Limerick “Cooperatives for Growth” Interreg bid. • The “Cooperatives for Growth” consortium includes • Local Authorities, Development Agencies, Universities and Cooperatives • Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Netherlands and Spain (Mondragon). • Belfast City Council - video • Ald. Christopher Stalford & Cllr. Jim McVeigh Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

9. INTERCO-OPERATION COOP COOP COOP COOP COOP COOP COOP SOCIAL&HEALTH FINANCIAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) EDUCATIONAL Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

10. Meitheal Mid West - origins • Jan 2010 - redundancy • 70 engineering jobs off shored to the far east • The IP is foreign owned, even though system conception, design, build, test & deployment is local • 50 million users from Panama to Southern Argentina – using the systems 24 x 7 x 365. • Apr 2010 – lets do something positive • May a creative moment - An EU Emoney License vested in the community • July the search begins for an alternative economic development model • Aug is Mondragon real – do these engineers actually own both the firms and the IP ? • Nov form a committee of like minded individuals and start experimenting with ideas • Mar 2011 - setup Meitheal Mid West • May Invite Mondragon to Limerick • Aug Mondragon visit Limerick • Nov Field trip to Mondragon - Belfast(2), Cork(1), Dublin(2), Limerick(12), Tipperary(1) • Jan 2012 - can we use Interreg to generate some traction in the coop space ? • Mar -> May Assembled an Interreg Consortium • “Cooperatives for Growth” - bid submitted in May - decision due in Sept • Jun Limerick City Council adopt our Coop Plan Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

11. Limerick Context • IDA • client visits to Limerick are rare • 2010 - one live conversion • Signed contracts but didn't materialise • Enterprise Ireland • One of the highest company formation rates in the EU but also one of the highest failure rates. • Averaging 12 HPSU’s per annum in the Mid West (assuming 10 persons per company) • To replace Dell’s 3,000 jobs would take 25 years on current trends (10 * 12 * 25) = 3,000 • It is time to introduce and adapt a proven alternative economic development model which can coexist with the existing FDI variant Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

12. Southern Context • The IDA’s annuals reports show 140,000 people employed directly in Ireland via FDI (foreign direct investment) • This figure is static between 2000 and 2010 • The advent of Connect Ireland (www.connectireland.com) • 90,000 of these jobs are from the USA • FDI MNC’s (multi national corporations) • Repatriate their profits • Control their Irish IP (intellectual property) from their HQ’s • From the Irish exchequer’s perspective the corporate tax take is severely compromised. Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

13. European Context • Assuming the Euro currency block stays intact • It will transition from a monetary to a fiscal union (and perhaps thereafter a federation) containing • Tax harmonisation – CCCTB • A financial transaction tax – Tobin Tax • June 2012 - Angela Merkel’s Government agreed to the introduction of a financial transaction tax as part of the deal in the Bundestag to ratify the “fiscal stability pact”. • Notwithstanding national vetoes, the South’s economic development model – i.e. a tax haven for MNC’s - will become increasingly untenable with their monetary & fiscal union partners. Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

14. Chickens coming home to roost - Again ! • In the South • FDI not delivering the jobs. • The tax haven economic development model is under serious threat, perhaps it’s the beginning of the end. • In the North • ? Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

15. A challenge to the larger coop family in these Islands and beyond • Make Ireland (North & South) a cooperative pilot • Small, young populations • An ideal test bed Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

16. The Cooperative equivalent of Intertrade Ireland (www.intertradeireland.com) • Would the UK Coop Group contribute to a fund if an equivalent amount was raised in the South ? • We could then collectively lobby both governments to provide match funding. • Thereafter the EU and Philanthropic sources could be targeted • Invite Mondragon to become involved – engineering & industrial Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

17. To make Cooperatives the de facto economic development model in Ireland. Thereby developing a methodology for international use. Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference