Co-ops

There are various sorts of co-ops worker co-ops and customer co-ops. Basically it is about who owns a company. Ultimatly I would like to see abolishing of property but in meantime if somone has to own a company a co-op is probably better.

If you want to convert a company to a employee ownership or set up a workers co-op then in Scotland contact Employee Ownership Scotland was able to help, this was replace by the Co-operative Development Agency.

The Co-operative bank has a branch in Glasgow but one can get money out of link machines and pay in cheques at Post Office.

http://www.cooperativebank.co.uk

They have an internet brand that offer some of best banking deals to those well off enough to take them up:

http://www.smile.co.uk

The local supermarket co-op in Edinburgh is Scot Mid, I recommend people who live in it's area join them. It only costs a pound and means you own a bit of of them, see:

http://www.scotmid.com/

This is not to carpet bag them like building societies, which I am told is not as easy, as with them, but to support and direct community owned enterprises. One also gets some vouchers to use in the stores.

For co-ops elsewhere see:

The Co-operative Group which the coop bank as well as many coop stores in many parts of UK are part of

http://www.yoursociety.co.uk

http://www.co-op.co.uk

http://www.coop.co.uk

For co-ops on the net world wide see:

http://www.coop.org

For a customer owned Phone and Internet provider use the:

Phone Coop

network of small workers co-ops

http://www.radicalroutes.org.uk/


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