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Cuba's ongoing economic reform programme includes a significant development of non-agricultural cooperatives that has received little comment in spite of the priority accorded to this officially preferred form of non-state activity. The article notes the ambiguous treatment of cooperatives in historical socialist debates in general and Cuban debates in particular. Non-agricultural cooperativism, although seen as bringing efficiency and income gains, is now being theorised with a greater emphasis than in the past on self-management and non-alienated forms of labour. Since the enabling legislation in 2012, the creation of such cooperatives has been rapid, mainly due to the conversion of small-scale state workplaces in the service sector, but such cooperatives, so far, remain a small component of the wider shift of workers into non-state employment. Nevertheless, economic, social, educational and media institutions are adapting to the economic, cultural and representational needs and challenges of the new cooperativism. the legislation addresses lessons from experience elsewhere by limiting the exploitation of hired labour by profit-sharing cooperative members. the article concludes by considering factors influencing the rise of the new cooperativism and its potential for rekindling a socialist consciousness of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]