Co-operative

The Industrial Common Ownership Act of 1976 simplified the process of establishing co-ops and marked the start of the movement’s most dynamic period yet.

Arjuna, which had wanted to move towards some form of collective ownership for years, was the first co-op established under the terms of the act to begin trading.

A workers’ co-op is a limited company but, in one sense, no one owns it.

The members decide what to do with the income the business generates, but, as they constitutionally cannot take anything with them when they leave, are ultimately not owners in the traditional sense. At Arjuna, only employees may become members of the co-op.

The members meet to decide how to spend profits: usually a combination of reinvestment in the business, bonuses, and donations. Small day to day decisions are made by individual members, often in consultation with whoever else is working that day. Bigger decisions are made at meetings of the whole co-op, when an attempt is made to reach a happy consensus. So the democratic will of the membership stands in place of a boss.

At Arjuna, there is much less specialisation than in conventional businesses. In particular, everyone does their share of cleaning and other menial tasks. Basic jobs such as serving in the shop, cooking, or packing in the warehouse are rotated on a daily or weekly basis.

Links with other cooperatives

Co-operation is a principle that can apply between businesses as well as within them. As long as the product and price are right, we give business to other co-ops over conventional businesses. For instance, the co-op Suma Wholefoods is one of our major suppliers. We feel relations between us are warmer than is often the case with other kinds of business, with a high degree of trust and mutual understanding. More local co-ops we have given work to include the Cambridge Free Press and the Cambridge Building Collective.