We are working on a brand new version of the game! If you want to stay informed, read our blog and register for our mailing list.
Bill: Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis
Details
Submitted by[?]: Factio Republicana Socialistica
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This is an ordinary bill. It requires more yes votes than no votes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: December 4383
Description[?]:
| Clodian Law on Cooperatives Senators, The Republican Party has repeatedly campaigned for a policy of removing undue privileges granted by wealth or birth, ending the arbitrary dominion exercised by private companies and by wealthy individuals. We have cooperated closely with the Selucian left in socializing our economic system, promoting the growth of worker-run businesses, and limiting consumerist excess. On the other hand state ownership of industry has never been our goal. In the pursuit of ending the arbitrary dominion of capital we do not wish to replace it with the arbitrariness of the state. So for that reason we call for a full privatization of all publicly-owned industries under the rule of their own workers, and the establishment of worker or consumer cooperatives as the only legally accepted form of economic enterprises. Under the provisions of this law, a Cooperative shall be considered any profit or non-profit voluntary association where employees are also owners, and where each employee has one vote in the governance of the association, with exceptions for new employees, part-time workers, temporary workers, and trainees. This includes both enterprises where where all workers are also shareholders and enterprises where ownership is conducted indirectly via a trust. This bill will continue to permit private investment in cooperatives, irrespective of the amount. In order to remove the perverse incentive cooperatives have of minimizing employment in order to guarantee higher wages for the current members, we also propose the elimination of the minimum wage, in order to allow unskilled workers who cannot sell their labor at the market value to nonetheless participate in the labor market and in order to encourage cooperatives to hire more employees. Coupled with the maximum wage introduced in 4381 (http://classic.particracy.net/viewbill.php?billid=565574) and the permitted increase for each additional employee this policy will ultimately have the effect of reducing unemployment while guaranteeing improved working conditions at all cooperatives. We urge both parties of the left and the right to support this proposal, as this will introduce worker ownership of the entire economic system while maintaining and in fact strengthening the free market and private property. Additionally, we believe this policy will also have beneficial political and social benefits, as the worker-owners will have direct experience in civic participation and solidarity, preparing them for the task of ruling the Republic. At the same time cooperatives will pursue higher wages instead of higher profits, limiting destructive consumerism and re-purposing our economic system towards serving virtue and the common good rather than selfish interests. Rebecca Clodia Pastor Senatrix |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Tax percentage of the profit made by corporations.
Old value:: 25
Current: 35
Proposed: 17
Article 2
Proposal[?] to change Government policy on Democratic Workers' Councils.
Old value:: The government encourages the formation of Democratic Workers' Councils through subsidies and tax exemptions.
Current: The government does not intervene in the marketplace with regards to Democratic Workers' Councils.
Proposed: The government requires all businesses to be run by Democratic Workers' Councils.
Article 3
Proposal[?] to change The nation's defence industry.
Old value:: The state owns all defence industries.
Current: The state owns all defence industries.
Proposed: Defence industries are privately owned and not subsidised.
Article 4
Proposal[?] to change Health care policy.
Old value:: There is a free public health care system and a small number of private clinics, which are heavily regulated to ensure they treat their patients well and provide good care.
Current: There is a public health care system, but private clinics are allowed.
Proposed: Health care is private, but the government subsidises the cost of it for all citizens.
Article 5
Proposal[?] to change The banking system.
Old value:: The government operates large, national banks, but small community based private banks are allowed.
Current: The government operates a central bank and all other banks are private.
Proposed: The government operates a central bank and all other banks are private.
Article 6
Proposal[?] to change Closed shops are places of employment where only members of a specific union are allowed to work; union shops can hire non-members, but these have to become members after a certain time; agency shops can hire non-members, who have to pay a fee to cover the unions costs. All three are erected by union agreements. (Only valid if unions are legal)
Old value:: Agency shops are legal, but closed shops and union shops are not.
Current: Agency shops are legal, but closed shops and union shops are not.
Proposed: Closed shops, union shops and agency shops are legal.
Article 7
Proposal[?] to change Energy regulation.
Old value:: Energy provision is left to local governments.
Current: Energy is provided by private companies but the prices they can charge are regulated.
Proposed: Energy is provided by private, unregulated companies but subsidies are given to those on a low income.
Article 8
Proposal[?] to change Government policy on industry and subsidies to industrial operations.
Old value:: The state owns the commanding heights of the economy and all major industries, but private ownership is allowed in the minor industries.
Current: Certain industries are owned by the state, all others are under private ownership.
Proposed: The government acts as an investor of last resort, by nationalizing failing industries that provide vital goods or services.
Article 9
Proposal[?] to change Government policy on airports.
Old value:: The government owns and operates all airports.
Current: The government leaves airports entirely to the private sector.
Proposed: The government leaves airports entirely to the private sector.
Article 10
Proposal[?] to change Government policy on energy generation.
Old value:: Private and public power stations exist side-by-side.
Current: All power stations are publicly owned.
Proposed: Private power stations provide energy for the entire power grid.
Article 11
Proposal[?] to change The government's policy concerning the post office
Old value:: There is a nationalised post office agency. Private post offices are allowed to exist but the services provided by them are regulated.
Current: There is a nationalised post office agency in the nation. Private ones are banned.
Proposed: Only private post agencies exist, and the services they provide are regulated.
Article 12
Proposal[?] to change Train Operating Companies (TOC).
Old value:: The State owns and operates a national TOC, alongside private TOCs.
Current: There is a single publicly owned TOC.
Proposed: Private companies operate TOCs throughout the country.
Article 13
Proposal[?] to change The funding of sports clubs.
Old value:: The government funds some sports clubs side-by-side with private ones.
Current: The government funds some sports clubs side-by-side with private ones.
Proposed: The government does not fund sports clubs; only private ones are allowed.
Article 14
Proposal[?] to change Radio stations.
Old value:: The government subsidises a national radio station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised radio stations are allowed.
Current: The government subsidises a national radio station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised radio stations are allowed.
Proposed: All radio stations are private.
Article 15
Proposal[?] to change Television stations.
Old value:: The government subsidises a national TV station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised TV stations are allowed.
Current: The government subsidises a national TV station for educational and informational purposes; other private non-subsidised TV stations are allowed.
Proposed: All television media are private.
Article 16
Proposal[?] to change Forest management.
Old value:: There is a national agency which owns and manages all forest land.
Current: There is a national agency which owns and manages all forest land.
Proposed: All forestry is performed by private companies.
Article 17
Proposal[?] to change Government agricultural and farming subsidies policy.
Old value:: The government subsidises the operations of low-income farming families.
Current: Agricultural crops which are considered beneficial to the enviroment or to the continued ecological safety of the state are subsidized.
Proposed: Strategic crops are produced on State owned farms. All other produce is left to the Private sector.
Article 18
Proposal[?] to change The nation's policy on minimum wage regulation.
Old value:: There shall be a minimum wage at a level that a full time worker on it can support a family of four without falling under the poverty line.
Current: There is no provision for a minimum wage.
Proposed: There is no provision for a minimum wage.
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 14:35:25, April 24, 2018 CET | From | Est Pars Humanitatis et Socialismus | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | We support the democratic workers council bit and the legalization of union shops, but otherwise we oppose this bill. |
| Date | 16:19:04, April 24, 2018 CET | From | Legio Nationalis | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | Senators, We disagree strongly with mandatory ownership of industries by DMCs. However, thus far we have been unable to break the leftist policies turning Selucia into a near communist state with state ownsership run amok, and we see this as a better alternative. We will support this ptoposal. Martinus Varro Consul |
| Date | 18:11:40, April 24, 2018 CET | From | Factio Renatus Seluciana | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | We would like to say to Legionem Nationis that nationalization does not equate to communism. Fascists, the ones that hate communists the most, preach complete nationalization. |
| Date | 18:36:58, April 24, 2018 CET | From | Factio Renatus Seluciana | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | We would like to say to Legionem Nationis that nationalization does not equate to communism. Fascists, the ones that hate communists the most, preach complete nationalization. |
| Date | 19:45:03, April 24, 2018 CET | From | Clara Aurora - COSIRA | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | This is not giving power to the people or to workers, this is giving power to companies. This is going to affect specially to the poorest people, but well, we’ve seen the interest of the current government hidden behind “building a true republic’ Arcus Comas, Senator |
| Date | 19:53:55, April 24, 2018 CET | From | Factio Republicana Socialistica | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | Senators, This is taking power away from the state and giving it to the worker-owners, with additional provisions to incentivize increased employment. I think unemployment hurts poor people far more than privatization, no matter one's economic stance. And yet that is precisely the effect of the minimum wage - it leaves the poorest and most unskilled laborers unable to compete on the labor market. Rebecca Clodia Pastor Senatrix |
| Date | 20:26:10, April 24, 2018 CET | From | Clara Aurora - COSIRA | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | And privatization of healthcare, forests, energy? this is only giving power to the bosses of companies so they can do whatever they want with all those issues, set up the prices they want and so on. What's more, eliminating minimum wage only means employers can pay whatever they want for a job. What a hypocrisy from the "Party of the people" |
| Date | 21:25:42, April 24, 2018 CET | From | Factio Republicana Socialistica | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | Managers of cooperatives are under intense scrutiny from the board and from the rank-and-file membership, so they do not have full discretion to implement whatever decisions they want. Since cooperatives are managed and owned by their employees or consumers, in order to be successful they need to maximize the wages the worker-owners receive, which can only come with improvement in services and maintaining competitive prices. As for the minimum wage, we note that its presence favors large businesses exclusively. Smaller enterprises have to start somewhere, and requiring everyone to pay a living wage to each employee, even those that just entered the labor market, kills small businesses and favors large corporations. And of course there's the issue of unemployment - forcing companies to pay a living wage makes them want to hire less. When job cuts are made, the first to go are always the urban poor. Rather than send them on the street, why not let them work for less, if they choose to do so? Rebecca Clodia Pastor Senatrix |
| Date | 01:58:11, April 25, 2018 CET | From | Legio Nationalis | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | Senators, In response to the Imperial Senator's claims - never has there been a proper fascist that has preached for complete nationalization. Regardless, nationalization by the left in Selucia has created a dysfunctional socialist state that runs contrary to our beliefs Martinus Varro Consul |
| Date | 23:15:02, April 25, 2018 CET | From | Clara Aurora - COSIRA | To | Debating the Lex Clodia de Societatibus Cooperativis |
| Message | Let's sell our citizens to the private sector. A true republic you called it. Ha Plubio Galuis Senator |
subscribe to this discussion - unsubscribe
Voting
| Vote | Seats | |||||
| yes | Total Seats: 412 | |||||
| no |
Total Seats: 338 | |||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
| Random fact: Large scale RP planning (such as wars, regional/continental conflicts, economic collapse, etc.) should be planned (as best as it can be) and should have consent of a majority of players involved. |
| Random quote: "In an underdeveloped country, don't drink the water; in a developed country, don't breathe the air." - Changing Times magazine |