All 14 retailers covered by the GSCOP (Groceries Supply Code of Conduct) have signed an agreement with the GCA which “ensures that suppliers do not face negative consequences as a result of raising issues with the business directly or with the CCO (Code Compliance Officer)”.
The GCA, Mark White, hopes the announcement will provide further assurance to suppliers that they can raise issues with retailers confidentially and without the concern about future supply, tenders or delisting as a direct consequence.
Mr White said: “It is important that suppliers can speak honestly and frankly to the retailers when issues arise, so problems can be resolved as quickly as possible. Suppliers must be confident that they can do this without negative consequences for their business.”
NFU Food Business Relationships Advisor Annabel Bagshaw said: “We know UK farmers and growers are often fearful of raising issues with the GCA or COOs out of fear of repercussions, this something we have consistently highlighted with the GCA during recent meetings.
“We are therefore pleased to see he has recognised this and is striving to improve supplier confidentiality, which we hope this will instil confidence in members to report issues when they do occur. We will continue to work closely with the GCA to ensure that our members’ voices are heard and to feed into the flexible frameworks he is putting in place with the retailers.”
