International Seminar on Promotion of Industrial Co-operatives in East, Central and Southern Africa- Tanzania 1982

Abstract

The original idea was to cover both industrial and handicraft co-operatives in the seminar. It became, however, clear at an early stage that the term handicraft co-operatives in most cases meant purchase or marketing co-operatives only and very seldom production co-operatives. Although a universally recognized definition of the term industrial co-operative is lacking it is commonly understood that these co-operatives are engaged in production. For convenience and to avoid mistakes the seminar unanimously decided to use the term industrial instead of industrial/handicraft co-operatives thus stressing the central idea »whereby labour entrepreneurs, on the basis of one member one vote, form a democratical association or partnership and either hire or use their own capital to productive ends