Coburan Country Organisation

The Coburan Country Organisation (CCO) is the largest trade union in Cobura. It was founded in 3212, but its origins are traced back to the Coburan labour uprising around 3205.

History
The Country Organisation was the first official trade union in Cobura, even though a guild-like system had existed since the early 3000s, approximately two hundred years before the founding of the CCO. As this was the first union, there were no other unions at the time, and no other unions were formed before the late 3250s. Thus all workers who needed influence and protection as well as a political voice, joined the federal organisation. This explains the organisation's name. In 3257 a split occured between the progressive pro-worker groups of the CCO and the non-partisan members. This lead to the foundation of the workers' alliance, who said politics shouldn't be the foundation of trade unions.

Original relations with the Left Party
The Left Party was a socialist party founded as a way for the workers to get properly represented in Parliament. Between 3214 and the 3260s the CCO and Left Party were close allies and they both officially embraced progressivism. In this period the level of unemployment decreased from around 36% during the dark days of the 3200s, to approximately 8%.

Modern relations with the Left Party
Since 3262, the Left was no longer a socialist party at the core, and several members of the CCO redrew their membership from the party, as it was until then possible to hold a CCO-LPC double membership, and possessing one would mean that you were both a member of the CCO and the Left Party. The historically close relationship between the CCO and the Left cooled down, and their positions shifted: the CCO to the left and the LPC to the right. When Jack Donnelley took over the Left Party in 3272, his first act was to end the system of possible double membership, which only lead to a greater increase in the distance between the two organisations.