Friday, 18 May 2012

Manufacturing hopes rest on union-supported co-operative ventures

Australian unions have endorsed the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) support for co-operative operations, recognising the critical role they play in advancing the organisation’s Global Employment Agenda and promoting decent work.

ACTU President Ged Kearney said the 2012 ACTU Congress  had endorsed the position in support of co-operatives as they had a proven record of creating and sustaining employment, now providing more than 100 million jobs globally.

“Co-operatives have also been more resilient to the deepening global economic and jobs crisis than other sectors,” Ms Kearney said. “Trade unions and co-operatives have a long association in this country. Industry based credit unions gave workers access to financial services and loans, and co-operatives provided affordable services for key workers such as childcare, housing and health.”

The motion adopted at the Congress supports the ILO’ position on co-operatives, outlined in Recommendation 193. The resolution acknowledges the importance of co-operatives in job creation, mobilising resources and generating investment, as well as their promotion of economic and social development to the benefit of their members.

Ms Kearney said a good example of how co-operatives fostered decent work was Earthworker Co-operative, a micro-financing venture aimed at resourcing manufacturing start-ups including  Eureka’s Future Workers Cooperative destined for Morwell, Victoria.

Earthworker Co-operative project officer Dave Kerin said that as future jobs began to disappear out of the power industry, it made sense that co-operatives had higher productivity and better work environments as employees were co-owners.

The Eureka Future Workers Cooperative, which starts manufacturing of its solar hot water units in Knox, Victoria, in July, was the first of a series of union-based worker-owned renewables manufacturing businesses to be rolled out across the nation.

Factories are planned in the Hunter region in NSW, Geelong and WA. The model is unique because of a distribution system where units will be purchased through the wages component of the enterprise agreements negotiated between unions and companies with incentives paid out of rebates.

“Australia’s International Year of Co-operatives Secretariat now seeks to partner with the ACTU to progress the development of a strong social sector of the Australian economy,” said Melina Morrison, Director of the International Year of Co-operatives Secretariat. “Trade unions and co-operatives share sustainable employment agendas.”

The ACTU Congress backing of the resolution follows the introduction last week of new national co-operatives legislation which aims to strengthen the sector by removing restrictions on co-operatives doing business in other states and territories.

To view the 2012 International Year of Co-operatives Australia homepage, click here.

Eureka’s Future Workers Cooperative will be in production by July this year!

Douglas Solar, one of two private sector partners (along with Everlast) who have patiently stuck through 12 years of discussion within the union movement, will become the first active part of Eureka’s Future Workers Cooperative by July this year. So we will be in production and although the operation is in Knox, Melbourne, this moves us more firmly on the road to Morwell.

Within 12 – 18 months of an operating factory in Morwell, Eureka’s Future Workers Cooperative will leverage off that to establish the same factory in the Hunter, Geelong and WA. Then on to other carbon dependent regions of Australia.

The model is unique not only because it seeks to build a strong social sector of the Australian economy, but also because of the distribution method. Distribution of the solar hot water systems will occur through the wages component of the EBA’s negotiated between unions and companies. Incentives will be paid out of rebates/REC’s (whatever remains of them once carbon pricing is introduced) to both unions and employers.

The MUA National Council voted recently to take Dave Kerin, Project Officer for Earthworker Cooperative, round their jobs nationally to recruit to Earthworker. Other unions are coming in behind the project now as well, with the AMWU and CFMEU taking Dave through workplaces in WA beginning May 22nd.

Local events and campaign updates:

• Dave will be visiting WA 22 – 27 May. He will be addressing the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) State Council on 22nd speaking about Earthworker Cooperative; and also to unions and the unions’ peak council body.
• From 28- 31 May, Dave will be in South Australia.
• From 1 June, back in Melbourne, Dave will continue speaking to workplace meetings of unionsists in Victoria, WA and SA to recruit the 100,000 members of Earthworker Cooperative, to move us closer towards the Morwell factory.

For further information or to inform us of local meetings or festivals anywhere in Australia, contact Dave Kerin on 0412 484 094.

To join Earthworker Cooperative, download the form or enter your details here.

National launch in Melbourne another great success

Many unions and community and environment organisations joined forces to launch Earthworker Cooperative’s 100,000 Australians Campaign

Unions, community and environment groups gather to launch the 100,000 Australias Campaign

Representatives from our dedicated sponsorship companies, Everlast and Douglas Solar were also there on the day to celebrate the launch of the campaign.

Everlast water heater

You can download the media release THURS 11TH AUGUST 100000 MEDIA RELEASE.

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING: WORKING OUR WAY OUT OF CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Green manufacturing jobs for Australia’s regions and cities.

Earthworker Cooperative is a social enterprise with a mission to create solutions for transitioning Australia’s workforce into a low carbon economy. It aims to create jobs, build social capital and protect the environment in local communities through the manufacture of renewable energy infrastructure.

The cooperative factories are to be established in regional areas where large proportions of the workforce are dependant on carbon intensive industries/energy generation.

The Earthworker Cooperative’s objective is to raise 100,000 Australians to contribute to the establishment of the first Cooperative in Morwell,Victoria via the purchase of factory equipment through a $20 membership fee. Joining the Earthworker Cooperative is simple and can be done at this site. Apart from the membership fee, there only remains acceptance of the single set of aims and objectives underpinning the work of the organisation.

Aim:  To facilitate the establishment of manufacturing workers cooperatives through our country, especially in the coal regions ofAustralia, through membership of the Earthworker Cooperative.

Objective: To support the factories in their work of manufacturing the best renewable energy products, through support with building the membership of Earthworker Cooperative, financial assistance to the workers cooperatives, support with marketing and any other forms of support asked of us by the manufacturing cooperatives.

Join us in this, our country’s work

Eureka’s Future - a solar hot water cooperative – will manufacture the highest quality solar hot water units; creating jobs in regional Australia and cities across the country. The three pillars of the project are job creation, sustainability and workers rights.

Eureka’s Future – the first Earthworker Cooperative – will provide Australian’s with new manufacturing jobs and produce the green technology to advance our living standards and protect our environment.