2. What is a co-operative?
A co-operative is jointly owned and by its members - and it is the members who are the beneficiaries of the activities of the business.
There are many types of cooperatives, each serving their members' economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations in different ways.
Co-operatives usually operate as limited companies and their members are therefore protected from financial risk as they have limited liability.
3. What is a trade union?
A trade union is a membership-based organisation, and its membership must be made up mainly of workers. One of a trade union's main aims is to protect and advance the interests of its members in the workplace. Trade unions try to develop close working relationships with employers.
4. What are the benefits of a trade union?
Trade unions can provide many benefits for their members. Some workers join a trade union because they believe that a trade union can:
- Negotiate better pay.
- Negotiate better working conditions, such as more holidays or improved health and safety.
- Provide training for new skills.
- Promote lifelong learning.
- Provide legal and financial advice.
- Provide various consumer benefits (e.g. discount offers or vouchers for shops and services).
- Provide help and advice with problems at work.
5. How does Fairtrade benefit producers?
What is 'fair trade'? Fair trade is sometimes called ethical trade. It is the idea that people in developing countries should get a fair price for the products they sell, instead of being exploited as cheap labour or through the destruction of their environment.
How does fair trade help farmers in developing countries? Farmers growing products such as tea, coffee and chocolate must pay for fertilisers, pesticides etc. which are generally imported from developed countries. However the price they get for their crops has not increased as much as the price they pay for these imports. The market price for their products sometimes drops below the cost of producing them. As a result many farmers are working harder but getting less money than before.
Fair trade tries to help by buying products directly from the farmer at a better price than the farmer would otherwise get. This has helped many small farmers trade their way out of poverty and improve their standards of living.
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