Product category:
Printing Trade Organisations - including Allied Industry Bodies
News Release from: BPIF
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 12 March 2004
Supermarkets' Practice Code Available At
BPIF
The Supermarket Code of Practice that came into force on 17 March 2002 is not working, says the OFT in its report on the review of the code.
The Supermarket Code of Practice that came into force on 17 March 2002 is not working, says the OFT in its report on the review of the code But in information published on the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) Web site, the OFT has stopped short of recommending significant changes to the code, instead proposing to conduct an audit of supermarkets to find evidence of abuses of the Code
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 23 Aug 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Charles Trotman, Chairman of the Fair Deal Group, said: "It is gratifying that the OFT has acknowledged what suppliers have been saying for months - that the Code is not working.
But we have strong reservations that an audit will actually produce the evidence the OFT needs to be able to recommend sensible changes to the code.
It is vital that suppliers are directly involved in the audit.
Otherwise, we will be in a position where the OFT is relying on the supermarkets to solve the problem they are in fact causing." He went on to add that there is little doubt that the fear of suppliers in providing evidence of alleged abuses of the code made it very difficult for the OFT to act.
He also said it is essential for suppliers to be guaranteed anonymity when making a complaint.
If there are abuses of the code taking place, and it is believed there are, suppliers must be able to come forward without fear of retribution.
Both the OFT review and the Competition Commission's (CC) report on the Safeway takeover showed clearly that the authorities are taking the problems of the Code seriously.
"It is vital for suppliers who are experiencing abuses to exploit this focus to ensure that their case is both heard and acted upon," said Trotman.
The Office of Fair Trading report, Supermarkets Code of Practice, was published on 20 February 2004 and is available from the OFT website, www.oft.gov.uk For further information please contact the BPIF's Cicely Brown on (020) 7915 8368 or email cicely.brown@bpif.org.uk.
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