All Our Own Work

Wanting tocreate employment under their own control, textile workers in the small Penninetown of Hebden Bridge developed in the years from 1870 a successfulco-operative business which at its peak employed over 300 women and men - andwhich made a profit every single year.The'Nutclough Mill' became nationally, and indeed internationally, renowned. Its central figure Joseph Greenwood wasinvolved in the creation of the International Co-operative Alliance. Womenassociated with the co-operative set up the country's first branch of theWomen's Co-operative Guild.Creating,almost for the first time, a new way of working wasn't always easy. There weredebates on how to share the rewards of the business, and on how much powerthose who provided the capital should be given. There were dilemmas to face:should the mill produce quality products or poorer goods that sold better?Thisengrossing account of a worker-run business is the first significant study ofearly producer co-operatives in Britain for over a century. The lessons learnedin Hebden Bridge are still relevant today for all who seek to find new ways ofworking.