Mondragon Tour
International Co-operative Solutions plan to lead a study tour to Mondragon
Co-operative in Northern Spain. Please register your interest in this tour
by contacting Jo. You will then be kept informed when the tour is open for
bookings.
Join us on a study tour to Mondragon co-operative in the Basque Country,
Spain. Places for this tour are limited to 16.
The benefits of this study tour include:
- Learning first hand from an established and growing workers co-operative federation, particularly about issues of current concern including democratic management, participative governance, new ventures and financing growth.
- Delegates will return with a much deeper understanding of the history and achievements of the Mondragon co-operatives, and with plenty of ideas about how this can help to extend co-operation and employee ownership in the UK.
- Strengthening Co-op to Co-op links between members of Co-operatives UK; and between the UK and Spanish co-operative movements.
Mondragon Co-op to Co-op study tour itinerary includes:
- Visits to key Mondragon enterprises including Eroski food stores and financial institutions.
- Meetings with key Mondragon people - to explore issues such as controversies and future developments - including Fred Freundlich (International Relations) and Mikel Lezamiz (Director of Co-operative Dissemination).
- Some afternoon of free time to meet other contacts or visit other sites.
Tour price includes: all itinerary arrangements, airport taxis, local transport
within the Basque Country, tour guide Jo Bird, four nights pension accommodation,
breakfast and lunch, pre-tour advice and information packs, pre-tour meeting
in Manchester.
Optional tour extras include: arrive early or stay extra nights, upgrade to
hotel accommodation, upgrade from twin to single room, climate care contribution,
extra day in Bilbao and Guggenheim Museum.
Tour price excludes: cost of flights (£50 to £150 return), dinners
(approx £10 per meal) and other personal expenditure.
A pre-tour meeting will be offered to all those who express an interest. The
pre-tour meeting will be held in Manchester, one or two months before departure.
Further information on Mondragon's Co-operative Experience can be found at
www.mcc.es/ing/cooperativismo/experiencia.html
Draft Programme for Mondragón Co-op to Co-op Study Tour
Day 1: |
Monday |
| 20:30 | Flights BA7083 and EZ3775 arrive at Bilbao airport. 21:30 Transport to Mondragon town. |
| 22:30 | Welcome to and orientation in Mondragon town. Accommodation in pension or in hotel. |
Day 2: |
Tuesday |
| 09:30 | Reception at the Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa (MCC) with Mikel Lezamiz, Director of Co-operative Dissemination, at Building LK3, Paseo Arizmendiarrieta 5, Arrasate-Mondragón. |
| 09:45 | MCC Corporate slide presentation. |
| 10:00 | Transfer to Otalora, the Co-operative and Management Training
Centre. Refreshments |
| 10:45 | Short presentation with long question and answer session, covering the history and current situation of the Mondragón Co-operative Experience. |
| 13:00 | Lunch at Otalora. |
| 14:30 | Visit to the MCC's first industrial co-operative: Fagor Electrodomesticos. Meeting with chair of a governing council and chair of a social council. Or Visit to Eroski retail business headquarters. |
| 17:00 | End of the first day. |
Day 3: |
Wednesday |
| 09:00 | How Mondragon co-operatives operate internally, how they
are organised, how co-op to co-op trade is encouraged. Refreshments. |
| 11:00 | Management training and development at the MCC, including MCC's Corporate Management Model. |
| 13:00 | Lunch at Otalora. |
| 14:30 | Visit to an MCC co-operative such as Ikerlan, a Technological Research Centre; or visit to Legal Dept or free time to catch up on e-mails etc. |
| 17:30 | End of the second day. |
Day 4: |
Thursday |
| 09:00 |
Visit to Saiolan - Company Incubation Centre (Company promotion).
Or free time. |
| 11.00 | Meeting with Fred Freundlich, International Relations and visit to the Mondragón University. The education centre where our co-operative movement started. |
| 13:00 | Lunch with Fred Freundlich |
| 14:00 | Seminar on Inter-co-operative funds and MCC joint funding mechanisms. The importance of Inter-co-operation for the generation of synergies. |
| 16:00 | Visit to the MCC's financial wings: credit co-operative, Caja Laboral and Provident Society, Lagun Aro. |
| 18:00 | End of the third day. Evaluation over dinner. |
Day 5: |
Friday |
| 07:30 |
Travel one hour from Mondragon town to Bilbao and depart. |
| 09:00 | Or leave Mondragon town after breakfast for optional extra day at Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Tour includes two star twin room accommodation in hotel in walking distance to Guggenheim Museum and entrance ticket to Museum. The same optional upgrades for accommodation are also available. |
Day 6: |
Saturday |
| 08:00 | Taxi to Bilbao airport. Depart. |
All itineraries are subject to change due to local circumstances.
