Members of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) will be subject to a binding code of conduct and codes of practice by the beginning of next year.
At a recent meeting of the TTF governing board the green light was given to drafting a new code of conduct – to establish business procedures – and a code of practice – to set down recommended policy in each product area.
A draft document will be presented to the Federation’s one-day conference to be held on September 20 in Birmingham. The draft will then be subject to ratification by members and an agreed version is to be in place by the beginning of 2002.
All new and existing members will be required to sign-up to the new codes as a condition of membership.
Mark O’Brien, TTF head of public affairs, said: ‘If we are to be an effective body we have got to do something along these lines. This will drive the cowboys from our industry. Membership of the TTF has to bring with it the expectation that certain standards will be met.’
Geoff Rhodes, vice-president of the TTF and marketing and sales director of Willamette, said: ‘The trade has possibly suffered in the past by sometimes having an inconsistency of the correct products matching the correct specification. With this [code of practice] the customer will get what he expects – there will be no surprises. The trade will be able to hold its head up high and supply what it says it is supplying.’
The codes – which the TTF says are being developed in response to membership demand – will give timber traders an objective means to arbitrate trade disputes. Product complaints can be dealt with by the relevant code of practice, which will provide specific details on product standard. This will enable the complaints procedure to determine whether a member’s conduct falls outside accepted practice.
The Federation will be contacting members for their views. The main method of feedback will be via a dedicated e-mail address: codeofconduct @ttf.co.uk.
