Non profit
Spain: worker co-operatives and the economic crisis
In 2008 1.7% less worker co-operatives were created than in 2007, the Spanish Confederation of Worker Co-operatives (COCETA) reported
di Staff
There had been less worker co-operatives created in 2008 in comparison to the previous years. Economic crisis has touched the growth of co-operative movement, which created 1,7% less enterprises than in 2007. These data have been registered by the Spanish Confederation of Worker Co-operatives (COCETA), and presented during the annual meeting in Murcia on the 5th of May.
Despite the negative data, the figures concerning worker co-operatives are even better than the classical companies, which registered a loss of enterprises by 7%. Furthermore, worker co-operatives increased the employment rate by 0.12%, in comparison to the total amount of employment in Spain.
“This crisis is not affecting co-operatives in the same way as the majority of enterprises, it is a financial crisis”, said Juan Antonio Pedreño, who has been re-elected as president of COCETA during the assembly. “This moment is showing also a crisis of values and, on this field, co-operatives have advantages because our model is based on values driving and characterising our enterprises”
Presently, 18,625 worker co-operatives exist in the country which employ 300,000 people (members and non member workers). It represents 1.64% of people working in Spain. The largest part of existing co-operatives in the country is worker co-operatives; these are followed by housing co-operatives (3,200) and transport co-operatives (2,400).
One of the most important feature emerging from these data on worker co-operatives in 2008 and that also repeats itself in the history of co-operation is that the majority of people working in these enterprises are also members, and the remaining 20% has an open-ended contract. In the course of the previous years, two main characteristics are differentiating worker co-operatives: their size is smaller and they have an increasing presence in the service sector.
Woman and immigrants employment
One of the main aspects of worker co-operatives is linked to women’s employment. According to the analysis of the Labour and Immigration Ministry, the percentage of women in co-operatives (worker co-operatives, agriculture, housing, consumer, education, maritime, decrit, transport and services) is higher among workers who have a fixed-term contact than among those who have an open-ended contact. However, this trend is the opposite for worker co-operatives.
On the other hand, 39.4 is the percentage of women who have a managerial role; this figure is much higher than in other entrepreneurial forms.
Another relevant consideration is that increasing interest on co-operatives has been demonstrated by immigrant people. As in 2007, 10% of people creating co-operatives in Spain comes from abroad. In 2008 and 2009 COCETA has been making efforts to improve the environment for its enterprises finding financial agreements and acting for the support from autonomous communities for the awarding of financial aid to co-operatives. Pedreño ensures that this responsibility will be shared by Government, financial institutions, co-operatives enterprises and social economy enterprises.
For more info, you can visit the website www.coceta.coop.
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