Some time ago we introduced the Earthworker Cooperative, a cooperative dedicated to providing finance, assistance with marketing strategy, R&D and networking of the various, loose strands of the social sector of the Australian economy. Their goal is to create a powerful force for the collective good, on behalf of its member cooperatives, unions, shire councils, faith-based communities and individuals.

Earthworker Cooperative is a social enterprise with a mission to create realistic solutions for transitioning Australia’s workforce into a low carbon economy. It aims to create jobs, build social capital and protect the environment in local communities by building workers cooperatives engaged in the manufacture of renewable energy infrastructure.

Their first project is to establish a workers’ cooperative in Morwell, Victoria. Eureka’s Future Workers Cooperative will manufacture and then sell solar hot water systems collectively through union-employer Enterprise Bargaining Agreements, or other bulk purchasing arrangements.

Earthworker is now entering a new phase because, in their words: “The only problem in achieving our goal has arisen from an over-reliance on governments to do the job for us. What government bureaucracies have been telling us, what everyone has been telling us, is that we should come see them when we have something to show them. “

Earthworker is therefore calling upon everyone across the Australian community, to do their part to ensure that manufacturing jobs in factories owned directly by communities produce the renewable products our country needs.

Getting involved is easy: visit www.earthworkercooperative.com, have a look at the single set of aims and objectives – and second, contribute a $20 membership fee. Earthworker Cooperative’s immediate objective is to enlist 100,000 Australians to contribute $20 per member to create clean-energy jobs in Australia.