Loomio
Thu 15 Aug 2019 2:58PM

Threats to the Co-op Movement - general discussion and heads ups for context

CMI Cath M in Bentley (A Commune in the North/Radical Routes/Platform6) Public Seen by 65

This is some of the stuff that it's useful to have in the back of our minds when we're thinking of shiny and happy co-operative solutions to various problems in the world. This thread specifically is about threatening things actually aimed at the co-op movement, by government, corporates or others.

There's probably scope for a general 'threats to the Co-op Movement by the Co-op Movement itself' thread, but i don't have anything to put in that just yet...

G

Graham Sat 31 Aug 2019 5:53PM

I've not followed this story, but if it is as you suggest @Alex Lawrie then the move is deplorable. Co-operatives are distinct and separate from conventional shareholder-value-led businesses, and so to get twitchy because profits warning indicates clearly to me that the people in control have no understanding of that difference and shouldn't be in charge of a co-operative enterprise.

MP

Michelle Parkin-Kelly Mon 2 Sep 2019 9:12AM

https://octopus.energy/blog/coop-energy-partnership/
https://www.cooperativeenergy.coop/landing-pages/announcement/
It looks as though the branding and administration will remain the same, retaining the existing member benefits, share in profits for members, and Co-op community power tariff. So, the main concern would be one of ownership and control, the degree to which members could engage democratically.

I'm not particularly well versed in the rules around this, but I believe that if membership still stands, then members are still able to vote in the Midcounties elections and theoretically stand for election as a Director assuming they meet the usual requirements. Through that, the Utilities Committee would presumably retain the same set up.

So, no real change unless subsequent negotiations after the fact which would be speculation. So it's important current members use their co-operative rights and benefits to ensure the continuation of the co-op difference as they see fit, and that the community energy procurement continues (if that's what the members want, of course!) which seems to be gaining more investment in this move.

LS

Leo Sammallahti Sun 1 Sep 2019 3:54AM

Regarding global platform cooperatives. Coops could consider carefully looking carefully successes, solutions, problems and weaknesses Wikipedia has had in regards to user-governance. What are the tactics that have been used by special interests to manipulate Wikipedia governance? What are different ways different Wikipedia communities govern themselves, and how user governance in regards to Wikimedia funds is handled? etc.