In the 1970s, a new form of consumer protection system in socialist Yugoslavia was established, firmly grounded in the Constitution and the Associated Labour Act. Relying on the principles of self-management and withering away of the state, the principal role was given to consumer councils in local communities and municipalities, which negotiated with organizations of associated labour. Protection measures and functioning of the councils were coordinated by the bodies of the Socialist Alliance of the Working People. This paper is based on their documentation, especially from the 1980s, when economic crisis and shortages brought new issues in the focus of consumer councils.