Spanish Union of Consumer Co-operatives celebrates its 70th anniversary

The Spanish Union of Consumer and User Co-operatives (UNCCUE) celebrated its 70th anniversary at its General Assembly meeting in Madrid last month. 

The Spanish Union of Consumer and User Co-operatives (UNCCUE) celebrated its 70th anniversary at its General Assembly meeting held last month in Madrid. 

UNCCUE also organised a commemorative event in the honour of Francisco Ceballo Herrero, former President of Honour of the Union who passed away this year.

Various Spanish co-operators, politicians, and representatives of the business sector participated in the event. In addition, co-operative leaders from around the world send video messages, congratulating the Union for its longevity, as well as for its major achievements.

ICA President, Dame Pauline Green, congratulated the UNCCUE on behalf of the 1 billion co-operators across the world. She said: “I am delighted to congratulate you and say what an excellent job you have done. And I can say that given that you were the first organisation to join the ICA after the dictatorship fell.

“I am also pleased because your first Director, the late Señor Herrero was of course the recipient of the Rochdale Pioneers Award in 2007 which is the most prestigious award the ICA can give to an outstanding co-operator. And to have this celebration in this IYC is a very powerful restatement of the co-operative ideal, together co-operatives build a better world. And you are doing just that!”

Manuel Mariño, Regional Director of the ICA also congratulated the UNCCUE for their 70th anniversary. He said: “The ICA Americas region and the UNCCUE have worker together on a joint project a couple of years ago. We hope to be able to do this in the future, benefiting co-operatives within this sector”.

Miguel Angel García Martín from the Spanish Ministry for Labour and Social Security congratulated the UNCCUE in video message addressed to the Union.

Said Mr García Martín: “Precisely in this year when we celebrate the IYC it is necessary to have the social economy and co-ops at the centre of solutions. I am convinced that with a stronger emphasis on social economy and co-ops, we secure economic growth and stability across Spain. In the name of the Spanish Government and the Ministry of Labour I want to congratulate UNCCUE for these 70 years, wishing them to have another 70 years of success as they have had so far.”

Agnes Uhereczky, Director of the Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union also highlighted the important role co-ops could play in the recovery from the financial and economic crisis in Spain.

She said in a video message: “We think social and solidarity economy is a response to the challenges across the world, especially in the context of this financial crisis which requires viable and efficient alternatives.

“The European families share the values of democracy, education and participation and solidarity that the co-op movement has promoted for more than 150 years and which UNCCUE has represented for so many years in Spain, working in the interest of all families.”

To mark the anniversary, the UNCCUE has launched the book “Preparing the future: Consumers 3.0. Stories of consumer co-operatives in Spain 1942-2012.” Those atending the commemorative event received a free copy of the book.

Founded in 1942, the UNCCUE is the first association of consumers recognised by law in the world. Its main aim is to promote and sustain the development of consumer co-operatives in Spain.

 

 

 

 

 

In this article


Join the Conversation