The objective of this article is to analyze the multiplication of work cooperatives in Brazil starting in the 1990's. These cooperatives were either a pragmatic way for reduction of business costs or a possibility for generating income and democratization of work relations. The author tries to verify the similarities and differences in the organization of such cooperatives, examining some specific situations and identifying difficulties in the formation of a culture of self-management which are due to the fact that work in those cooperatives, rather than being a voluntary alternative, is a way to resolve problems of unemployment.
Production and work cooperatives; Self-management; Flexible work; Associate work; Outsourcing