Are worker co-operatives ideal sites of participation for workers? A discussion of the factors impeding the realization of full, high level participation by members in worker co-operatives
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Authors
Ross, Meaghan
Issue Date
2009
Type
Archival material
Language
en
Subject
Alternative Title
Abstract
Sam Gindin (1998) states that “the nature and structure of capitalism guarantees that workers lag behind the productive forces; they are dependent on others and do not have the capacity to control, coordinate, or to develop the productive forces” (p.79). Yet, the development of co-operatives alters this phenomenon, and creates a model whereby workers begin to take collective ownership of the ‘productive forces’. As such, worker co-operatives have the potential to expand the breadth and depth of the levels of participation exercised by workers within their workplace. In her discussion of participation and democracy, Pateman (1970) argues that “a system of industrial democracy implies the opportunity for full higher participation by employees” (p.72). Several authors writing about worker co-operatives make similar arguments, advocating that co-operatives serve as vehicles for the implementation of full participation and workplace democracy for their members. While I acknowledge that co-operatives do constitute a system of greater participation for workers, than that which is found in traditional hierarchal workplaces, both personal experience working at the Skydragon Community Development Cooperative and the work of other scholars researching co-operatives, suggest that there are several factors impeding the realization of full or higher level participation by workers in co-operatives.
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Electronic version published by Vancouver Island University