Barcelona will host from 2023 the ‘hub’ of cooperatives of worked greatest of all Europa. The works to clear the 4.500 metros squares of block four of Can Batlló are in their final phase and it is expected that on July 1 the work will begin to build the enclosure where there will be spaces reserved for the incubation of new projects, as well as equipment for already consolidated projects -such as meeting areas or videoconferences- and places for shared work (coworkings).
The Catalan cooperative world shakes off the consequences of covid and consolidates its base of 4,551 companies throughout Catalonia, according to the latest data from April Department of Labor from Generalitat. These contribute around 2.2% of the Catalan GDP. And the opening of Coopolis, the promotion center located in Can Batlló, promises to be a driving force for a group that employs more than 45,000 people throughout the territory. The initiative has its origin in the neighborhood and cooperative movement, more specifically in the ‘Barri cooperatiu’ project promoted by the bookstore The Invisible City in 2008. Today this project is housed in ‘La Comunal’, a space shared with other cooperatives, such as the restaurant The Deskomunalthe group of lawyers Iridia o la Language Classroomamong others.
The works are running late, since the initial idea was that they be finished throughout 2021. Between the pandemic and the archaeological discoveries of ancient skeletons that the workers have been making, the work has been lengthening. The current forecast is that the venue can open throughout 2023, between the months of January and November.
New social economy law
2023 promises to be a key year for cooperativism in Catalonia, since in addition to the launch of Coopolis, the Parliament is also expected to process the new social economy law. The objective of this regulation is to create a kind of ‘stamp’ to distinguish those projects -be they cooperative, foundation or commercial company- that work according to the principles of the social economy, according to the co-president of the Federation of Work Cooperatives Guillem Llorens.
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To this end, a series of requirements will be established -pending to be specified in Parliament-, such as the degree of participation of workers in management and decision-making, a maximum ratio between the salary of the lowest paid and that of the best and other requirements for certify that whoever has the seal is really within the framework of the social economy. Said seal will also serve for the advertising differentiation of the companies or cooperatives, for the inclusion of these in future public policies of economic promotion, among others.
Within the Catalan cooperative fabric, made up of these 4,551 cooperatives, work cooperatives (be they lawyers, architects, occupational risk prevention services or personal care) are the majority. Other better-known names, such as SomEnergia or Abacus, are consumer cooperatives. Within worker cooperatives, size is typically small, with nearly six out of 10 having fewer than 10 employees. And the distribution of management positions is more equitable than in ordinary companies, with 48% of directors or managers being women, according to internal data from the Federation of Labor Cooperatives.