The transformation of companies into cooperatives is an option which is not always taken into account as part of corporate restructuring in crisis or in businesses without heirs. The global economic crisis has demonstrated the success of this entrepreneurial leap towards a more democratic and more sustainable employments. Examples of successful buyouts in crisis by their workers are numerous.

Several guidelines have been recently published for all those interested in joining the cooperative movement, especially in the UK, Spain and France. The Spanish Confederation of Worker Cooperatives (COCETA) and, in France, the General Confederation of Scop (CGScop) have published very practical guides, which describe the most important steps to take and which are aimed at future developers. Each confederation has given its national touch (legislation, financing, business environment, etc.), but both pursue the same objective: to publicize and promote the cooperative option.

• “De empresa en crisis a empresa cooperativa”: Guía para la transformación de empresas mercantiles en cooperativas de trabajo. (COCETA)
• Guide “Transmission d’entreprise en Scop”. (CGScop)
• Creative cooperatives. A guide to starting a cooperative in the creative industries. (Cooperatives UK)
• Guide “Starting a Co-operative”. (Co-operatives UK)

Via CECOP