On International Workers’ Day, the cooperative movement reminds us of something very simple but very important: work is not only about earning a living. It is also about dignity, fairness, security, and having a voice.

For many people around the world, decent work is still out of reach. Too many workers continue to face low wages, unsafe conditions, informal employment, and limited access to social protection. At the same time, new pressures, from technological change to climate challenges, are reshaping the world of work and often making existing inequalities worse.

Cooperatives: A Proven People-Centred Model

Cooperatives offer a practical and proven alternative. They are businesses owned and governed by their members, built on democratic participation and shared responsibility. Their purpose is not only economic success, but also social value and long-term benefit for the people and communities they serve.

In its message for International Workers’ Day, the International Cooperative Alliance underlines this role clearly:

Cooperatives offer a people-centred model that addresses these challenges. Owned and governed by their members, they align economic activity with social purpose, supporting over 280 million livelihoods worldwide. That’s nearly one in ten workers globally.
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The ICA also points out that cooperatives contribute directly to SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth. They do this by supporting fair wages, safer working conditions, access to social protection, skills development, inclusion, and stronger worker participation.

Europe’s Cooperative Movement and Quality Jobs

This message is also being echoed in Europe by CECOP, which represents industrial and service cooperatives. In its Labour Day statement, CECOP highlights the scale of the cooperative movement across Europe:

Across Europe, over 43,000 cooperatives employ 1.3 million people, proving that a people-centred economy is both viable and scalable.
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At a time when the European Union is discussing its Quality Jobs agenda, CECOP is calling for the cooperative model to be properly recognised and supported. Cooperatives already offer many of the things that are often spoken about in policy discussions: fair wages and working conditions, long-term job security, inclusion of women and marginalised groups, investment in skills and lifelong learning, and management that puts people before systems.

Giving Workers a Real Say

CECOP also makes an important point about what a quality job should mean in practice:

A quality job in cooperatives means workers having a real say in their working lives, ensuring transparency, fairness, human-centred solutions, and access to skills training.
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This is especially relevant today, as more workplaces are affected by digital tools, platform work, and algorithmic management. In this changing environment, cooperatives show that technology and economic growth should serve people, and not the other way round. When workers have a real voice, businesses can be both sustainable and fair.

A Timely Moment for Malta

For Malta, this discussion comes at an important moment. The country is currently discussing new legislation for cooperatives, which can be an opportunity to modernise and strengthen the sector. A clear, supportive legal framework can help cooperatives grow, become more visible, and contribute even more to Malta’s social and economic development.

We are also in the middle of an election period. This makes it even more important to place cooperatives on the national agenda, not as a side issue, but as a practical model that can support decent work, democratic participation, inclusion, and fairer economic growth.

Our Appeal to Political Parties

The Malta Co-operative Federation appeals to all political parties to recognise the value of cooperatives and to include clear commitments in support of the cooperative model.

Supporting cooperatives means supporting businesses that are rooted in their communities, democratically owned and governed, and focused on balancing economic sustainability with social impact.

International Workers’ Day is a reminder that decent work and quality jobs should not remain slogans. Cooperatives are already putting these values into practice every day.

By giving stronger support to cooperatives, Malta can help build an economy that is not only productive but also more democratic, resilient, and centred on people.