Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers

The Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society of (English for the Society of Equitable Pioneers of Rochdale ) was a consumer cooperative and savings cooperative, which was founded in December 1844 by 28 weavers of Rochdale.

The development of the movement

It goes back to the early English socialists and entrepreneur Robert Owen, who already in his Scottish model settlement of New Lanark, inter alia, established a cooperative store to supply the inhabitants with cheap and good food. Owen pushed for the creation of productive and consumer cooperatives in order to improve the miserable condition of the workers in the early days of industrialization. He also provided the current definition of a cooperative as " the union of a special kind, as based more on people on capital, not only a financial but also a moral aim has ".

Owen hoped that working with cooperatives, ie, with self-organized factories and shops of their time clearly salient exploitation by the owners of capital could oppose an alternative. He told them, "You have your own merchants, be your own manufacturer so that you can provide yourself with the best quality products and lowest price ".

In the so-called " enthusiastic " phase of the cooperative movement that followed these suggestions, resulted in several co-operative stores, it was followed by a "socialist " phase, in which tradition and the Rochdale Pioneers were. This movement grew out of a strike of Flanellweber who wanted to strengthen their economic independence in the face of strike consequences with their newly founded cooperative. They felt that it is not just about a cheapening of food, but also for the dissemination and strengthening of the cooperative idea that should be applied to the whole society. However, the principle of political and religious neutrality ( Rochdale - neutrality ) was one of the well-tended by the new co-operative principles.

Over time, sat down in the English cooperative movement more and more liberal and civic orientation by that highlighted the principle of neutrality, especially in the distribution of dividends was. The English co-operative movement was different than in other countries to avoid a split in a liberal and a socialist wing, it developed until 1914 to a mass organization with billions of pounds of revenue and several million members.

Rochdale principles

A cooperative Declaration of Principles did not exist in Rochdale. What is meant by the Rochdale principles of a century had not been clearly stated clearly almost. Erwin Hasselmann called George Jacob Holyoake, with reference to his 1878 and published history of the following principles unsystematic listed there:

  • Principle of purity goods - Purchase and delivery of only genuine goods
  • Payment in cash
  • Distribution of the surplus in accordance with the shopping in the cooperative (refunds principle)
  • Limiting the return on capital
  • Principle of accumulation of surpluses combination of savings and consumption cooperative
  • Promotion of education aspirations
  • Democratic administration - one man, one vote

Since 1937, they understood something very specific Rochdale under the term principles or Rochdale principles, particularly in the consumer cooperative movement. Since the Congress of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA ) in Paris in 1937 it was thought in general the following seven principles:

  • Open Membership - voluntary and open door
  • Democratic Choice, ( A vote per member)
  • Reimbursement in accordance with the purchase sum
  • Limited interest on capital
  • Political and religious neutrality
  • Payment in cash
  • Promotion of education

This cooperative principles have been modified by the ITUC in 1966 and 1995.

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