AMonopoly control
BOpen membership and democratic control
CFixed wages only
DCentralized management without member input
Answer:
B. Open membership and democratic control
Read Explanation:
Friendly Societies & the Friendly Societies Act
Friendly Societies Act, 1793
Passed by the British Parliament in 1793
Aimed to recognize and regulate charitable organizations that offered mutual aid and basic necessities to the poor
These societies:
Were formed by philanthropists
Purchased food items like bread and potatoes in bulk
Supplied them at cost price to poor people
Focused on charitable help, not economic reform
Key Features
These were early charitable and mutual aid societies
The core idea was: “Only to cure poverty, not to prevent poverty”
Impact on Co-operative Thought
Over time, people shifted from relying on charity to exploring self-help and mutual help
This shift laid the foundation for the Co-operative Movement
Trade Union Movement
Emerged as a response to poor working conditions during the Industrial Revolution
Aimed at collective bargaining to secure:
Better wages
Improved working hours
Safer working conditions
Early Trade Union Example : In 1824, Charles Howarth and others started the Rochdale Weavers’ Union
Rochdale Friendly Co-operative Society (1830)
A predecessor to the well-known Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society
Membership: 60 flannel weavers
Represented the transition from Friendly Societies to full-fledged co-operatives