Since Ulma and Orona were aware of the implementation of internal processes of abandonment of the Mondragon Group, the debate and tension between the cooperative groups has been increasing, as a sign of this are the public observations of both this week.

Mondragon shared the document among all the members of the group, explaining why Ulma and Orona rejected in June the proposal for a “new relationship framework” for discussion at the congress. According to Mondragon, Ulma and Orona demanded “the creation of a new figure of concerted cooperatives”, and there would be no time to move such an approach “that changes the concept of Mondragon” to Congress.

The document can be read in full on the website of Tulankide.com. Among other things, the Permanent Commission of Mondragon and the Governing Council state in the text that they are prepared to “dialogue” and that they have requested meetings with the social bodies of Orona and Ulma, “but so far we have not been able to meet”.

Pressure campaign

Ulma responds angry that Mondragón has launched a “pressure campaign” to influence cooperative partners: “The last exponent of this action has been the distribution among all the cooperatives adhered to of a document unfavorable to the proposal to make the organization more flexible, presented by Orona and Uma in Mondragon, which has not been completely and truthfully transferred to the members,” he explains.

The terms of this document are considered by Ulma as an attack on the freedom of attachment and the sovereignty of the members of Mondragon. It says that the proposal also raised “an open relationship model” “based on partnership agreements”.

Ulma reports that she has held over 38 briefings among the 2,789 members of her nine cooperatives, after which she has decided to convene an extraordinary assembly on 16 December to decide whether or not to leave Mondragon.