Worker Co-operativesand

Trade Unions

Bob Cannell bob@suma.coop

1.

Business Success

• £35 million sales (2013)• £1 million profit• Leading independent brands (Suma & Ecoleaf)• ROCE > Apple Inc.• Exports to 40 countries• 1000s of customers from supermarket chains to

student food buying co-ops• 37 years of innovation in services and products• Double market rate wages• Two month bonus

Suma www.suma.coop

• Employee buyout 1977 • 100% employee owned and controlled• Multi-skilling and job variety• Equal wage rates for all• Democratic management• Management by consensus• no Managing Director, no Chief Exec, no

Executive management

BFAWU branch Suma 547

1.

The Suma TU story

– How we found our Union

80% of Suma members are Union members

20 year badges

How we work with our Union

We use them for:

• Legal advice

• Terms and Conditions benchmarks

• Mediation and Conciliation

• Defending individual workers

• Workplace education

• Political campaigns

How our union uses Suma

As an example of:

• Good workplace health and safety

• Good employment terms and conditions

• Worker controlled employment

TUs and worker co-ops in the UK

• Historical disagreements from 19th century• Political differences (collective bargaining vs.

worker control)• Resort to worker co-ops if no alternative

(Tower Colliery, Remploy, Wales Co-op Centre)• ‘Unused potential for recruiting TU members in

the private sector’ David Jenkins, Wales TUC• Employee buyouts of private SMEs assisted by

unions and recruitment of worker owners – as in France

Worker Co-operatives in the UK

Like USA • large employee ownership sector

– John Lewis 80,000 partnersnot employee controlled

• small worker cooperative sector- 400 largest 450 members, worker owned and controlled International Cooperative Alliance standards

www.calverts.coop

http://unicorn-grocery.co.uk/

www.dulas.org.uk

www.delta-t.co.uk

www.edinburghbicycle.com/

www.trafficsystems.co.uk

SUMA is, at heart, a political statement that workers can successfully manage their own businesses without an owner/executive elite.