Joining Workers’ Co-operatives: The Case of the Argentine Co-operative Graphic Network Federation

As a consequence of the economic crisis that took place in Argentina by 2002, co-operatives re-emerged as a way to tackle unemployment. Within this context, many organizations built up co-operation links with different social actors to obtain mutual benefits.

The aim of this paper is to understand the benefits that workers’ co-operatives gain by being associated in a federation. The research has shown that the Co-operative Graphic Network ederation supports co-operatives by facilitating the distribution of resources and sharing of knowledge, both necessary for their success. The Federation also develops collaborative strategies, solidarity actions and supports self-management.

This research is framed within qualitative studies with case study as methodological approach. The main methods used were semi-structured interviews and observation.