Workers funds

Workers funds are an instrument for promoting economic democracy that aims to enable workers to participate directly in companies. These funds regularly collect contributions from companies, often in the form of shares, and manage them in the interests of employees. The aim is to strengthen workers' influence on company management and give them long-term ownership rights. This should not only make the distribution of income and wealth fairer, but also structure the balance of power in the economy more democratically.

Practical examples:

Meidner-Plan

A well-known example of a labour fund is the Meidner Plan, which was developed in Sweden in the 1970s. The plan was named after Rudolf Meidner, a Swedish economist who designed it on behalf of the Swedish trade union movement LO (Landsorganisationen i Sverige).

The Meidner Plan stipulated that companies with more than 50 employees should give a certain percentage of their profits each year in the form of shares to so-called wage labour funds. These shares were to be collected in special funds and managed by trade unions. Over time, the funds would have acquired enough shares to be able to exert a significant influence on company management. The aim was to reduce the concentration of corporate power and capital and instead enable a fairer distribution of wealth and more democratic control by employees.

However, the Meidner Plan was only partially implemented due to strong opposition from employers and political parties. Despite the limitations, the idea remained an important symbol of the possibilities of democratising the economy and continues to influence discussions about economic democracy and workers' funds today.