& Meitheal Mid West

A very important day - Workers Cooperative Network - The WCN – setup here in Belfast WHO – We are a network of worker owner cooperatives in Ireland – North & South, plus supportive organisations and individuals. WHAT – A lobby group promoting the interests of worker owner cooperatives in Ireland WHY – To do for our families, communities & society what SUMA, Mondragon and other worker owner coop’s have done, and continue to do, for theirs. 28/6/20122 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

To encourage coop’s in other sectors to trade with their worker owner coop cousins To develop links with other coop sector associations in these islands and beyond. To our larger Coop cousins, in both islands, we will gladly avail of any and all assistance you are prepared to offer us at this critical stage in our development. – Training, financial etc To lobby the legislature (North & South) for general coop interests – We require a cooperative equivalent of InterTrade Ireland ( – Promotion, education & training “on the Cooperative way” in our 2 nd & 3 rd level colleges. – A Southern equivalent of the Northern All Party Committee on Cooperatives & Mutuals – In the South, to begin a public discourse on the disparity in treatment between ILO-193 and CHG (Irish Financial Services Centre – Clearing House Group) 28/6/20123 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

28/6/20124 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

Practical developments – since setup – We are meeting with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs in Dublin. – Requesting a meeting with the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly Acknowledge – Trademark Belfast, NICOOP Forum, Bob Cannell (SUMA) – All the members of the WCN 28/6/20125 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

What we do – Promote the “Sustainable cooperative social business model” in the mid west. Why we do it – Initially because we were very angry with the socioeconomic effects of the existing economic development model Where are we now ? 28/6/20126 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

The Strategic Planning Committee in Limerick City Council recommend our Coop Proposal – City Council endorsement expected next week – Branding Limerick as a “Coop City” – Incubating worker owner coop industries & services Belfast Cleaning Cooperative – Founded 2012 If it can work in the Shankill & the Falls then why not in South Hill & Garryowen. 28/6/20127 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

Belfast City Council support the Limerick “Cooperatives for Growth” Interreg bid. The “Cooperatives for Growth” consortium includes – Local Authorities, Development Agencies, Universities and Cooperatives – Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Netherlands and Spain (Mondragon). Belfast City Council - video – Ald. Christopher Stalford & Cllr. Jim McVeigh 28/6/20128 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

COOP 928/6/2012 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

Jan redundancy – 70 engineering jobs off shored to the far east – The IP is foreign owned, even though system conception, design, build, test & deployment is local – 50 million users from Panama to Southern Argentina – using the systems 24 x 7 x 365. Apr 2010 – lets do something positive – Maya creative moment - An EU Emoney License vested in the community – Julythe search begins for an alternative economic development model – Augis Mondragon real – do these engineers actually own both the firms and the IP ? – Novform a committee of like minded individuals and start experimenting with ideas Mar setup Meitheal Mid West – MayInvite Mondragon to Limerick – AugMondragon visit Limerick – NovField trip to Mondragon - Belfast(2), Cork(1), Dublin(2), Limerick(12), Tipperary(1) Jan can we use Interreg to generate some traction in the coop space ? – Mar -> MayAssembled an Interreg Consortium » “Cooperatives for Growth” - bid submitted in May - decision due in Sept – JunLimerick City Council adopt our Coop Plan 28/6/2012 Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference 10

IDA – client visits to Limerick are rare – one live conversion Signed contracts but didn't materialise Enterprise Ireland – One of the highest company formation rates in the EU but also one of the highest failure rates. – Averaging 12 HPSU’s per annum in the Mid West (assuming 10 persons per company) – To replace Dell’s 3,000 jobs would take 25 years on current trends (10 * 12 * 25) = 3,000 It is time to introduce and adapt a proven alternative economic development model which can coexist with the existing FDI variant 28/6/ Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

The IDA’s annuals reports show 140,000 people employed directly in Ireland via FDI (foreign direct investment) This figure is static between 2000 and 2010 – The advent of Connect Ireland ( 90,000 of these jobs are from the USA FDI MNC’s (multi national corporations) – Repatriate their profits – Control their Irish IP (intellectual property) from their HQ’s – From the Irish exchequer’s perspective the corporate tax take is severely compromised. 28/6/ Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

Assuming the Euro currency block stays intact It will transition from a monetary to a fiscal union (and perhaps thereafter a federation) containing Tax harmonisation – CCCTB A financial transaction tax – Tobin Tax June Angela Merkel’s Government agreed to the introduction of a financial transaction tax as part of the deal in the Bundestag to ratify the “fiscal stability pact”. Notwithstanding national vetoes, the South’s economic development model – i.e. a tax haven for MNC’s - will become increasingly untenable with their monetary & fiscal union partners. 28/6/ Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

In the South – FDInot delivering the jobs. – The tax haven economic development model is under serious threat, perhaps it’s the beginning of the end. In the North –?–? 28/6/ Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

28/6/ Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference Make Ireland (North & South) a cooperative pilot – Small, young populations – An ideal test bed

Would the UK Coop Group contribute to a fund if an equivalent amount was raised in the South ? We could then collectively lobby both governments to provide match funding. Thereafter the EU and Philanthropic sources could be targeted Invite Mondragon to become involved – engineering & industrial 28/6/ Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference

28/6/ Presentation to N.I. Coop Forum Conference