We interviewed Laia Bonastra, president of the Federation of Labor Cooperatives of Catalonia, who reviews the main aspects of the cooperative sector in Catalonia and how they contributed to social transformations.
The month of July passed, the ordinary general assembly of the Federation of Labor Cooperatives of Catalonia will agree to name Laia Bonastra as president of the entity in place of Guillem Llorensto the capdavant of the mateixa els darrers sis anys. Cooperativism, a movement with deep love for Cataloniaand with a great acceptance pel seu social impact If we aspire to establish a more just economic system, putting people at the center of the decision, there are some pending reptes. Així ho confirms the darrer ‘Cooperative Barometer’ of the mateixa federation, which shows the need for a business-scale leap.
The barometer shows a decrease in the number of cooperatives that have increased their staff. Some experts in the sector urge to transform the good fame and reputation of these entities into economic impact. To achieve this, demand that the cooperative system goes beyond the fidelity of the conventions and is visible outside. Of all these challenges, we speak with the president of the Federation of Labor Cooperatives of Catalonia, Laia Bonastra.
What is the response to this change of presidency to the capdavant of the Federation?
As we have agreed, at the beginning of the legislature of this governing council, the mandate had been valued by a formal replacement to the presidency of the federation. This is a very natural decision, fruit of a model of col·legiate and shared responsibility that we have worked on.
How would you define the current situation of cooperativism in Catalonia?
The Catalan cooperativism is troba in a molt bon moment. Currently, we are immersed in a celebration year, that of the 125th anniversary, which will give great visibility and representation to the work cooperative. Furthermore, we have confirmed that in the Catalan economy there are sectors, such as culture, people’s care or renewable energies, in which cooperativism is important.
From the federation we have many projects engegats, which allow us to make further progress every day so that the cooperative values follow a solid base of the economic model of our country. We continue to try to show that the concept of the work we propose is a model of the future and sustainability: from putting people in the center, taking care of our environment and involvement.
Who are the main reptes for endavant?
Transform and cooperate the society! Because in the following, more than ever, I will understand to the maximum name of people our socioeconomic proposal, explaining that it is based on an innovative, efficient, transformative and diverse model from a sectoral, territorial, intersectional, dimensional and impact point of view. socioeconomic. We must know that the cooperative movement and the six initiatives are an ally to achieve more quickly those social and economic changes that we are convinced are so necessary. The clauses are the reinforcement of cooperatives, representation and visibility.
“Two of the key aspects of cooperativism are to improve the growth process and reinforce economic sustainability, balancing the dependence on subsidies”
Furthermore, here we have created a transversal space to detect the main problems and needs of Catalan cooperatives, and to think collectively about actions that contribute to solving them. Through various sessions in all territories, we have detected and prioritized two of the key aspects of cooperativism at home: Improve the growth process of cooperatives, focus on loyalty and relevance, and reinforce the economic sustainability of them cooperatives, balancing the dependence on public subsidies.
Who are the relationships you want to strengthen?
As a federation, we play an important role in the incidence, representation and visualization of cooperativism. We must be proactive in the impact, both as it refers to social, economic and legislative policies, in the Catalan and Spanish State spheres, in order to increase the social and democratic transformation of the economic model and both transversal levels of territory to the sectors class and in the spheres of intersectionality and diversity.
We must have a relationship with the Government, with transversality with the rest of its six departments, with the parliamentary groups and with other political agents in the territorial sphere. More and more, continue to strengthen the relationships between the agents of the Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) and outside of this.
How should the relationship with public administration be, does it mean that cooperativism has a great social impact?
“The promotion and dissemination of cooperativism is also a public responsibility”
It should be a relationship of addition, of co-construction of public policy, of forming alliances and of sharing common objectives. The promotion and dissemination of cooperativism is also a public responsibility. It would be up to the public administration to promote cooperativism, a movement with both impact and weight, and to allocate the resources it deserves.
Aquests darrers anys believe that s’ha fet un bona feina jointly with the administration, with the will of anat in crescendo. We hope that in the future it will continue and we will continue to be able to see if this feina has given good results.
84.75% of cooperatives have received adjustments or subsidies, mostly from the Generalitat and the local administration, and especially from social initiative entities. Does the dependence on the public administration generate concern among these?
“That a majority of cooperatives receive adjustments or subsidies from the public administration in this case can be said to depend exclusively on these”
That a majority of cooperatives receive adjustments or subsidies from the public administration in caps can be said to depend exclusively on these. In fact, for example in the case of social initiative cooperatives, it is not about a subsidy if it is not the provision of the service. Cooperatives are happy that there are programs aimed at cooperativism and, logically, they can have a weight on the results of the cooperatives.
Cooperatives are conscious and committed to maintaining economic balances, and the entire federation includes instruments to help improve the economic sustainability of cooperatives, balancing their dependence on public subsidies.
How can the good fame and reputation of cooperatives be transformed into impact to bring a scale jump to the city?
Fortunately, consumers are increasingly sensitive to a set of values that go beyond the tangible product, such as the impact on the territory and proximity, quality, intersectionality or diversity. Precisely, both the values that we promote from cooperativism coincide.
How they value the change from the Government to the Generalitat. Do you think they will make a commitment to the social and solidarity economy?
It is evident that we are experiencing a political change in our country. The last few years have seen more in detail issues related to the social and solidarity economy and cooperativism and have invested in this line. We don’t know what will happen, but the federation believes that it must continue investing and promoting in a different economy. Also in reality we can strengthen or contribute to strengthening cooperatives, but if not we will enter a scenario of this type at this moment or in the future. This is one of the largest reptiles.
“Desitgem que es continuï fents de la Govern de la Generalitat un après til cooperative model”
From the governing council of the federation we are happy that a General Directorate of Social Economy and Cooperatives has been named, since there are many of the projects, ideas and fears that we have hope for the taula. We will continue to co-construct public policy, with the aim of darrerament with the different general directorates, and desitgem that is continued by the Government of the Generalitat a commitment to the cooperative model and a long-term strategic vision. The new general director [David Bonvehí] It is a great connector of cooperativism, since it has been linked and we hope to have countries with it to build responses to the current and future trends of cooperativism.
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