Here is a link https://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/pat-conaty/not-alone-what-uk-can-learn-from-union-co-ops to an interesting article on union care co-ops from OpenDemocracyUK. As UNISON keeps saying, we will not support privatisation to a co-op from the public sector. However, these models are best suited in the private sector.
The key arguments here are:
1. An estimated 5 million people are self-employed of which 83% work alone and 70% are living in poverty.
2. In the US there is a growth - albeit small compared to the rest of the economy - of co-operative owned employment agencies backed by trade unions.
3. Business and employment co-ops exist in countries like Belgium. These co-ops will provide the workspace, back office services, insurance and income liquidity to support co-ops against market costs of these services. An example quoted is Green Taxis, though this is a taxi driver co-op from the US.
