 Holyoake House in Manchester. | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Registered Society (1585R) |
| Industry | |
| Predecessor | North of England Co-operative Printing Society (1869), |
| Founded | 1871. Incorporated 19 March 1873. [1] |
| Headquarters | Holyoake House, Manchester, England |
Key people |
|
| Revenue | £252,372 [2] (2018) |
| Total assets | £315,531 [2] (2018) |
The Co-operative Press is a co-operative whose principal activity is the publication of Co-op News , the news magazine of the global co-operative movement. The society's stated mission is to "connect, champion and challenge the global co-operative movement". [3] The co-operative's members are the subscribers of Co-op News.
Contents
- Publications
- Co-op News
- The Hub
- Reynold's News
- Millgate Monthly
- Books
- See also
- References
- External links
Founded in Manchester in 1873, the Co-operative Press is still headquartered in the city, at Holyoake House. [1]
The society was first incorporated as the Co-operative Newspaper Society by a group of co-operative societies to take on the publishing of The Co-operative News. Printing was carried out by the Co-operative Printing Society.
In 1921 the society merged with the Scottish Co-operative Newspaper Society and renamed itself as the National Co-operative Publishing Society, before taking on its current name – the Co-operative Press – in 1935. That year, substantial funding was finally secured with assistance from the sector's federal bodies, allowing the paper to be extensively reorganised. According to G.D.H. Cole in A Century of Co-operation, it had come to be regarded as one of the most efficiently managed newspapers in Britain, and, from a democratic perspective, a leading example. The editor until 1942 was Mr S. R. Elliot, who assembled notable contributors from the period. Former Labour MP, chairman of the Co-operative Party and Minister for Transport, Alfred Barnes, had served as chairman of the Co-operative Press around this time. [4] Mary Stott, known for her role as women's editor at the Guardian , edited the women's and children's section of the Co-operative Press from 1933-1945. During her tenure, she noted that its primary organ, TheCo-operative News, possessed a primarily working-class readership, and had staff working out of bases in London and Manchester. [5] The March 1966 edition of Labour Monthly recalled how, in the 1930s, the Co-operative Press, as an example of "non-capitalist forms of organisation and management," had at times been unsuccessful, because the presence of "elected Management Committees with no knowledge of the complicated business of newspaper production and promotion can be quite catastrophic." When Elliot proposed substantial changes and an increased editorial staff following its expansion in 1935-36, it had been rejected by the board. [6]
By the 1950s, it was the largest publication of the co-operative business sector. [7] During the 1960s, the Co-operative Press occupied the Veno Building (a former pharmaceutical headquarters, which was renamed as 'Progress House') on Chester Road, Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. A large Art Deco building, it later became home to the Trafford Press. [8]
The Press was embroiled in a labour dispute in the 1960s. As outlined in A History of the Society of Graphical and Allied Trades, the Co-operative Press employed 150 production staff at its Manchester printing facility, which produced magazines and general print items. Prior to the introduction of web-offset presses in 1966, the majority of work was conducted on letterpress machines managed by machine minders and assistants affiliated with the NGA and SOGAT (Division 1), respectively. A minor lithography division existed at the facility managed by ASLP members. In 1964, the company declared its plan to implement a web-offset press for the production of several periodicals and, subsequently, a tabloid newspaper. Representatives from ASLP, NGA, and SOGAT were scheduled to examine the press at the manufacturer's facility. Since some of the work for the press had previously been printed using a rotary letterpress machine, the Co-op determined that the crew for the new press should consist of craftsmen from both the ASLP and the NGA, together with assistants from SOGAT (Division 1). Initially, these arrangements were sanctioned by the three unions, and in January 1965, personnel levels were established, stipulating four assistants, which would escalate to seven with the utilisation of two files. The Co-operative Press could not coordinate combined meetings with all the unions involved, and when a stalemate occurred at the branch level, the disagreement was escalated to the national level. The ASLP persisted in dismissing the notion that SOGAT members should execute their customary responsibilities on the web-offset presses, which they typically performed on the rotary letterpress machine at the Co-operative Press. On 24 February 1966, management notified the ASLP and the NGA that the press will commence operations under locally approved circumstances, without prejudice to any potential national agreement. The equipment remained inactive as SOGAT declined to accept this arrangement. The corporation notified the BFMP of the dispute, which recommended referring the issue to a Joint Conciliation Committee of the Joint Industrial Council. The ASLP and the NGA notified the P&KTF that they would abstain from attending any meeting if SOGAT were present, as this would effectively acknowledge SOGAT's assertions. Despite the resumption of negotiations, a resolution had not been achieved by the time the Cameron Committee commenced its hearings. In July 1966, all parties ultimately consented to an arrangement, and the machine commenced functioning. [9]
In 1971 the Society took over the co-operative Birmingham Printers, and in 1972 merged with the Co-operative Printing Society. [10] As of 1972, it had a premises in Newcastle. [11]
Both the Co-operative Group and Co-operatives UK possess representation on the board. Individual co-ops such as the Central England Co-op, the Midcounties Co-op, and the Scotmid Co-op have also possessed board representation. It is the world's oldest news outlet of the co-operative sector. [12] [13] [14] [15] The Press is a member of the Co-op Group. [16] In 2019, the Co-operative Press carried out a comprehensive strategic review, partly funded by the Co-op Group, which highlighted what they determined as the need to broaden its revenue streams, enhance its digital services for members, and expand its international base. In 2020, the Co-op Group announced that it would cease the provision of "unrestricted" funding to the Press from 2021. [17]
