The capital region's Osuuskauppa HOK-Elanto is exceptionally strongly politicized. In many S group cooperatives, the attitude towards political subsidies is currently a strict no.
Oulu 25 years ago, there was a buzz around the regional cooperative Arina. It was revealed that Osuuskauppa had supported parliamentary election candidates with 150,000 marks. In today's money, the amount corresponds to around 40,000 euros.
Among those who received support, there were also those who were influential in the administration of the cooperative and were also in municipal politics influencing, for example, zoning.
Since then, election financing has become more transparent and the attitude of many companies to election financing has also become stricter. So also in the S group.
Still HS's article published last Monday The HOK-Elanto elections resulted in several comments that raised concerns about the allegedly corrupt relationship between the S group and politicians.
How is it? Do cooperatives still buy favors from politicians, for example, in the allocation of market places?
The group 19 regional cooperatives are independent operators in relation to the organization of administration. Similarly, decisions in relation to, for example, election financing are independent.
Nowadays, at least in some cooperatives, the attitude is a strict no. Both the Turku cooperative and the Pirkanmaa cooperative say that they do not support the candidates at all, not with seminar tickets or otherwise. Arina also has the same approach.
Of course, it is possible to distribute money other than as direct support, for example as generous meeting fees or purchase benefits.
For example In HOK-Elano, the members of the representative board receive a total of 1,460 euros in meeting fees for two meetings a year. Members of the representative council do not get any more discounts on purchases than other green card holders.
The remuneration of the chairman of the board of directors is considerable in large cooperatives. For example, in HOK-Elano, the chairman is paid 2,850 euros per month for the position. The position is responsible and tiring.
The board of directors is responsible, among other things, for preparing the appointments of the cooperative's board of directors and CEO. The members of the supervisory boards receive the same discounts on S group products as the staff.
In smaller cooperatives, the fees are usually lower. A minimum meeting fee of 200 euros is paid for meetings of the delegation.
Cooperatives the highest decision-making power is exercised by the representative board chosen from among the members, i.e. customer owners. In some cooperatives, the election of the representative board is a direct personal election.
In some cooperatives, such as HOK-Elannto or the Turku cooperative, the candidates are grouped on lists. Then the election method is proportional, which gives an advantage to big lists.
HOK-Elanto is an exception in that political parties are represented in the election. Most of the members of HOK-Elanto's representative board are usually selected from the lists under the political symbols.
In the elections of HOK-Elanto ending on Monday, some non-aligned groups have formed an electoral alliance called pro co-operation and they are looking for success in the elections.
Its instead, in Turku, for example, the candidate lists have not been compiled under political symbols.
Still, people who are active in other parts of society often end up in the management of cooperatives, who are often also members of a political party.
For some politically ambitious, the co-op election can be like a practice election to test possible support and make the name known.
Even in Turku, the new representative council elected this spring has familiar names from the region's municipal politics. A member of parliament, for example, also sits there Aki Lindén (sd).
Of course, there are also many politically completely independent members in the representative bodies.
of the S group in the central community SOK, the approach to election support is not quite as strict as in cooperatives. Media manager Päivi Antitkoski according to SOK Group does not provide direct financial support for elections. The useful seminars organized by the parties can be attended for reasonable sums and equally.
Decisions about participation in seminars are made at the CEO level. According to Anttikoski, SOK spent “a few thousand euros” on political support seminars last year.
In HOK-Elanto The representative council groups can be given up to a total of EUR 50,000 in support for the costs of election announcements and online publications against an invoice. Support is not given to individual candidates.
Members of the delegation also do not receive special discounts on S group services.
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