My experience is an example about how cooperatives can help young people to join the labour market, and how young people bring new opportunities to these projects.

Few people have the chance to carry out all their working experience in cooperatives. I am one of these fortunate people: at 25-years-old, I have been working in cooperatives since I was 18. Firstly I worked two years in a cooperative, set up by people related to the anti-globalization movement (the first year as a volunteer). After that, I began working for Arç Cooperativa working with marketing tasks. Currently, I am responsible for communication, and member of the management committee. Of course, I have been a working member since 2006.

The main characteristic of cooperatives is considering people (especially work members) at the company’s heart. Even though economic viability and increasing profits are an important point, they are not the only ones. It is said that cooperatives have other non-economic profits: cooperative (in the company and labour conditions improvements) and social (the benefits towards society the company produces).

This means, for example, that the company is concerned by worker’s needs, such as compatibility with personal life (for example family needs or schedule adjustments), training, personal growing, working ambiance and, of course, equal wages. In my case, I could combine my work with my studies. During those years I have done a degree in Sociology, and nowadays I’m studying for a Master degree in Contemporary Philosophy.

Another important characteristic is that cooperatives are democratic and participative organizations. Each worker member has the right to participate in the decisions taken by the company. In our case, we have several regular meetings where the people involved can discuss different issues (working teams/ management committees). We also celebrate the general assembly, where all the worker members take part to approve the budget, or discuss the strategic company’s development.

However, cooperatives demand responsibility and compromise from their members. In sharp contrast to other kinds of companies, work members must be really involved with the company, also in the case of economic loss. Though, as far I am concerned, this is not a disadvantage at all. In my opinion, these characteristics help cooperatives to be more competitive on the market.

If workers were satisfied with their jobs and labour conditions, they would be more willing to go through difficulties, and overcome them. As well, if cooperatives are in fact more democratic and participative, it helps with improving decision making, and increasing creativity, which is an important quality to develop a business today.

Despite being the youngest worker member in Arç Cooperative, I have been encouraged to participate in the cooperative discussions. I felt my point of view has always been considered in marketing and communication issues, as well as in the general assembly debates. I know that is not usual for young people to have these kinds of opportunities, and I am very glad about it.

To sum it up, I would say that I have learned a lot working in a cooperative, not only about my job, also about human relations. It is said that cooperatives are resisting the crisis better than other kind of company, and it may be because they are based in values such as solidarity, responsibility, democracy, and self-management. These values are different from capitalist ones, so we can consider that cooperatives might be an alternative either for employment or for the economic system in general.

http://www.arccoop.coop