MAY 2018

HOUSING
Scottish Labour leader wants a workers’
right-to-buy option for threatened plants
p Richard Leonard MSP
Workers facing redundancy at Scottish
factories Pinneys and 2 Sisters should
be offered the chance to buy out the
companies to save their jobs, says
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard.
Mr Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland,
told delegates from the Scottish TUC of
his plans for a version of Italy’s Marcora
Law, which allows redundant workers
to use their unemployment benefit
to buy their companies.
He made the remarks after Young’s
Seafood announced plans to shut its
Pinneys plant at Annan, Dumfries, and
move production south, threatening
450 jobs.
And another 450 jobs are at stake at
food manufacturer 2 Sisters, which is
consulting on the closure of its plant at
Cambuslang, Lanarkshire.
He said: “We need forward planning,
economic planning and also environmental
planning to tackle humanity’s greatest
challenge – climate change.
“We need democracy in our economy,
not just when things go wrong,
but to help things go right in the
first place.”
He added: “We need to look afresh
at who owns the Scottish economy and
why we are so vulnerable to external
shocks – and why so much wealth leaks
out from our country.”
The Marcora Law, which was
brought in by Italy’s trade and industry
minister Giovanni Marcora in 1985,
provides state backing for two
funds to support co- ops, including
one for new co-ops set up by
employees who have been laid off
when companies close or downsize.
It also gives access to technical
assistance and know-how, and has seen
the creation of more than 250 workerowned
firms, saving more than 9,000 jobs.
OBITUARY
Bruce Thordarson (1948-2018), former director general of the ICA
Bruce Thordarson, who served as director
general of the International Co-operative
Alliance from 1988-2001, has died aged
69 after a stroke and a fall.
During his time at the Alliance, Mr
Thordarson played a role in drafting
the Alliance’s Statement on the
Co-operative Identity, which was released
in 1995. He and his team organised regular
international and regional meetings
that allowed some 10,000 people to be
consulted on the document.
Before taking on the role of director
general, Mr Thordarson served as the
Alliance’s head of development and
associate director.
In a letter to members, the current
director general, Bruno Roelants, said:
“Bruce Thordarson was associated with
our organisation for many years and was
an excellent person to work with.
“He was a tireless, dedicated and
enthusiastic co-operator even in the
most testing times for the recognition
of the global co-operative movement by
international institutions.”
Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, on
14 April 1948, Mr Thordarson studied
at the University of Saskatchewan, and
later at Carleton University, Ottawa.
He published books on Canadian political
leaders Pierre Trudeau and Lester Pearson.
He served as director of government
affairs at the Canadian Cooperative
Credit Society (1976-1979), before
taking up the post of executive director
at the Cooperative Union of Canada,
(1979-1985). Prior to this he was special
assistant at the Canada’s Parliamentary
Centre for Foreign Affairs (1972-1974)
and policy advisor at the Ministry
of Manpower & Immigration (1974-1976).
Later in his career, Mr Thordarson
carried out consultancy work for the
Canadian Co-operative Association
in Indonesia and Vietnam. More
recently, he volunteered to help the
co-operative movement in Indonesia with
various seminars and workshops.
And he served on the board of the
Funeral Co-operative of Ottawa from
2012 to 2015.
A statement on the co-op’s Facebook
page said: “He will be remembered
as a remarkably staunch advocate for
co-operatives all around the world.
Virtually Bruce’s whole career was spent
working with co-ops.
“A short service will be held at FCO this
coming Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 10AM to
mark the death of Bruce, and a memorial
service will take place later this summer.”
p Bruce Thordarson
MAY 2018 | 13