Employment & Social Inclusion Entrepreneurship Sustainable Growth

08 Nov 2023 Event EaSI / ESF+ programme

THE EVENT

CECOP is excited to invite you to attend its conference “Workers Buyouts – what is the cooperative key to success?”, as the flagship event of its worker and social cooperatives skills campaign – #coopskills2023.

During the event, we will look at the support system provided by the cooperative movement, the know-how, technical, and human expertise it encompasses to make workers buyouts successful and sustainable in the long term.

When: from 14:30 to 17:00 (CET) | 29 November 2023
Where: L42 venue | Brussels (Belgium) | Full programme coming soon

The event will take place in person in the L42 venue , situated at Rue de la Loi 42, Brussels and it will be streamed on Zoom.

Interpretation will be provided in English, Spanish, French, and Italian.  

Register here

 

This campaign has been funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

We are pleased to announce that one of our members, Martin Strube of Co-operative Solutions is offering to carry out a Democracy Audit for union-coops:uk corporate members free of charge (they would charge only for out of pocket expenses, travel etc.)

The Democracy Audit is a method of assessing the quality of an organisation’s democracy. It is an independent audit by Co-operative Solutions as contracted outside observers intended to “measure” the state of an organisation’s internal democracy.  

Many democratic organisations such as voluntary bodies, trade unions, or co-operative societies may be democratic in the sense that this was always the intention and is still the assumed norm.  However, a scratch at the surface may illustrate that all is not quite as it should be from a democratic perspective.  Organisations often lapse into customs and practice which may save time or appear simpler but in fact slowly diverge from the democratic intent of founders or independent reviewers.  

Assessing democracy – performing a “democracy audit” – is not routinely practised in the UK.  Occasionally organisations may revisit their principles and their constitutions in order to update them in line with current thinking or modern practices, but rarely do they set out to qualitatively assess the extent to which they may or may not be functioning in an objectively observed democratic way.  

If you’re interested in this generous offer, then contact Martin direct: martin(at)solutions.coop

Our USA colleagues invite you to their Labor Day Webinar

Please note 4.00pm ET is 9.00pm BST

Join us online on June 26th and July 3rd at 15.30 for two online training workshops put together by our experienced and knowledgeable trainers, Anita Mangan and Cilla Ross. Each session will last for an hour and a half.

The sessions will be held on Zoom and are free of charge, although we do ask for a donation. When booking please select either free General Admission or Donation tickets, and make sure you book for both sessions as they are different. If you are making a donation then feel free to book a free General Admission ticket for the second session.

In these two sessions we will explore the shared history of the trade union and worker co-operative movements, their joint aims to create Decent Work.

We will also look at the growing movement in the UK and the USA and how it is developing and growing.

We’ll also look at the practicalities of creating and developing union-coops, and share some tools with you.

Book now at:-
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/all-about-union-co-ops-tickets-638180524127

GFTU Eduction Programme course for work reps
Standing up for a better workplace – June 1st at Quorn Grange.
Register at:-
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=kQM8viD4SkW-STKGgPNXaUCp6lrZyo1Jgg30GX35th1UMlU4OU1CVU1CSUw4Q0YzOFhBTFpPWkxVUi4u 

If you want to stay over on Friday Sept 15th, the evening before our AGM, you are advised to book early as over 50% of Quorn’s rooms are already taken (not all by us). There are other hotels/b&bs nearby, but staying in the venue is obviously more convenient.

Our AGM has been arranged for Saturday Sept 16th 2023 at the Quorn Grange Hotel https://www.quorngrangehotel.co.uk/
88 Wood Lane, Quorn, Loughborough, LE12 8DB
Quorn Grange is owned by the GFTU

The AGM is free for all members to attend, and timings will be as below:-
10.30am    Coffee & Biscuits
11.00am    AGM
1.00pm      Buffet lunch
2.00pm      Strategy session
3.30pm      Tea & Biscuits

There is no need to book for the AGM, but if you can let us know a few days in advance that you are coming it will help with the catering arrangements. Please let us know of any dietary requirements.

We are not handling bookings for the hotel, so if you want to stay over on the Friday night you will need to book direct on 01509 412167.
We have negotiated a special rate (mention union-coops:uk when booking) of £75 b&b or £90 b&b for two sharing. The hotel can get busy at times, so you are advised to book early.

Dinner is available in the a la carte restaurant and you are welcome to join us on Friday at 7.30pm. Please let us know in advance so we can book a table. Unsurprisingly we’ll be in the bar later.

Quorn Grange Hotel
88 Wood Lane, Quorn, Loughborough, LE12 8DB
Phone: 01509 412167

Our AGM has been arranged for Saturday Sept 16th 2023 at the Quorn Grange Hotel https://www.quorngrangehotel.co.uk/
88 Wood Lane, Quorn, Loughborough, LE12 8DB
Quorn Grange is owned by the GFTU

The AGM is free for all members to attend, and timings will be as below:-
10.30am    Coffee & Biscuits
11.00am    AGM
1.00pm      Buffet lunch
2.00pm      Strategy session
3.30pm      Tea & Biscuits

There is no need to book for the AGM, but if you can let us know a few days in advance that you are coming it will help with the catering arrangements. Please let us know of any dietary requirements.

We are not handling bookings for the hotel, so if you want to stay over on the Friday night you will need to book direct on 01509 412167.
We have negotiated a special rate (mention union-coops:uk when booking) of £75 b&b or £90 b&b for two sharing. The hotel can get busy at times, so you are advised to book early.

Dinner is available in the a la carte restaurant and you are welcome to join us on Friday at 7.30pm. Please let us know in advance so we can book a table. Unsurprisingly we’ll be in the bar later.

Quorn Grange Hotel
88 Wood Lane, Quorn, Loughborough, LE12 8DB
Phone: 01509 412167

The newly formed worker co-operative UK federation, workers.coop, will have an ‘all hands’ meeting on Thursday 16th February from 12.30 to 14.00. It’s for everyone involved in the work of the federation to share what they are doing, a chance for new people to find out what’s happening, and see how to get involved.

You can register here: https://www.workers.coop/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=6

The newly forming worker co-op federation is holding a series of events around the UK to explain what they are about, and how worker co-ops and worker co-operators can get involved.We at union-coops:uk are fully supportive of this new initiative, which will give a bigger voice to worker co-ops in the UK, whilst maintaining their affiliation to the UK apex body, Co-operatives UK

Weds 23rd Nov, Bristol: 18.30 – 21.00 followed by networking drinks
Mon 28th Nov, London: 9.00 – 12.00

Details of these, and future events can be found here:-
https://www.workers.coop/events/