Protection to consumer in non-agricultural and livestock cooperatives. Approach to a case study

Abstract

Non-agricultural and livestock cooperatives are a novel economic and social organization in the Cuban context, created on an experimental basis to satisfy the needs of the society, to re-organize services and productive processes, and to relieve the State of non-essential economic activities. Consumers during the act of consumption of goods and services in these associative forms are unprotected in front of the absence of mechanisms for consumer protection, which results in an infringement of their rights as consumers. The present article aims at evaluating the state of consumer protection in non-agricultural and livestock cooperatives in the province of Pinar del Río through the study of one of the gastronomic service cooperatives in Pinar del Rio municipality. The research used theoretical methods such as analysis-synthesis and techniques typical of empirical methods, such as documentary analysis, interview and observation. It concludes that there is a need to develop mechanisms or systems for protection to the consumer in non-agricultural and livestock cooperatives, especially those that provide direct services to consumers and do not have adequate cooperative education or a culture of quality and customer service. Based on this, a set of actions is proposed which, in the case study, can positively contribute to the design and application of a consumer protection system and, therefore, to the satisfaction of current and potential consumers.