Gamberini: «Cooperatives? They are not just businesses, but economic and social communities»

The cooperative movement, in an era marked by geopolitical tensions, environmental crises, growing inequalities and profound economic transformations, in the words of Simone Gamberini , president of Legacoop «confirms itself as a business model capable of responding with effectiveness, resilience and vision to the challenges of the present»

"Cooperatives are not just businesses: they are economic and social communities rooted in the territories, oriented towards the common good . In a particularly complex and delicate historical moment in which the very idea of ​​progress seems to falter" Gamberini stated "cooperatives reaffirm the centrality of the person, the social function of the economy and the value of peace. With vision, competence and roots, the cooperative movement is ready to contribute to the design of a new development paradigm, based on justice, inclusion and sustainability".

Simone Gamberini spoke at the opening of the mid-term Assembly of Delegates of the oldest Italian association representing cooperative enterprises, currently underway in Florence in the International Year of Cooperatives declared by the UN .

With over 90 billion in turnover , almost half a million employees and 7 million members , the cooperatives adhering to Legacoop represent a fundamental pillar of the country's social economy . This is demonstrated not only by the numbers, which are also growing in the two-year post-pandemic period, but also by the concrete role that these companies play in civil cohesion, social inclusion and the enhancement of internal areas. The cooperative movement is also a constitutional bulwark. "As recognized by Article 45 of the Charter and as President Mattarella reminded us in his speech at our Biennale in October last year," Gamberini remarked, " cooperation is a tool for participation, active citizenship and democratic development. It is a bulwark against the economic desertification of internal areas, where micro and small cooperatives often represent the only form of business present, combating depopulation and rebuilding social ties."

"In a phase in which work, as our recent analysis shows, from a driver of dignity and growth is transformed into a factor of alienation, fatigue and frustration", continued the president of Legacoop, " our cooperatives work daily to guarantee good and dignified work . In 2024 we renewed 8 national collective agreements, to which are added supplementary or economic adjustment agreements for another 4, involving over 1.7 million workers. A commitment that translates into concrete salary protections, contractual welfare and professional development . In a context where, however, a serious criticality emerges, especially in the services sector, linked to the procurement system. Because guaranteeing dignified work means putting companies in the position to pay adequate wages to members and workers who ensure services without which society would come to a standstill. We learned this during Covid, but we have already forgotten it since, at the first opportunity to support the efforts that cooperatives have made to adjust wages to inflation, it was thought appropriate to identify price review mechanisms in contracts that discriminate against the suppliers of those services. We will continue to forcefully ask the Government to remedy this situation".

Cooperative enterprises are also protagonists of the great transitions of our time. In the fight against the climate crisis , they promote renewable energy communities, experiment with sustainable agriculture and invest in circular production models. In technological innovation, they propose models of participatory digital platforms, as an alternative to the extractive logic of the gig economy.

" In the welfare sector, social cooperation is a bulwark of proximity and solidarity even in often forgotten territories", highlighted the president of Legacoop. "With thousands of professional and relational experiences, social cooperatives take care of people, generate development and fight inequalities. But the sector suffers from evident critical issues: today there is a shortage of over 65 thousand nurses and more than 32 thousand educators in childcare services alone. It is time for courageous and far-sighted strategies, to enhance social work and strengthen public policies , also in response to the demographic winter and the increase in inequalities".

"Housing," added Gamberini, "has become a national problem, a factor in deepening inequalities. We believe more than ever that cooperation can be a renewed solution. Our sector, among other proposals, has recently presented a "national housing plan" that provides for the construction of 20 thousand homes in 10 years, with an investment of 4.9 billion euros , to be used for rent or assigned for enjoyment at sustainable rates. The proposal, consistent with the new strategic guidelines of the European Commission, is based on a public-private partnership that provides for the use of national and European financial instruments, with a fundamental role for the European Investment Bank. These are concrete, innovative and inclusive proposals: we expect answers that are up to the task."

"Today, here in Florence, a journey begins that will take us across the country to end in 2026 in Milan when we will celebrate 140 years of Legacoop . A journey of listening and discussion with the institutions, the world of economics, work, Italian society, which will allow us to implement and update our proposal to contribute to the growth of the country in the name of inclusion and equity", concluded the president of Legacoop.

Opening with Simone Gamberini at a recent event

Tags:
• Social economy
• Welfare