Stop supermarket bullying
3 June 2008

The Competition Commission's final report on supermarkets has confirmed that the big retailers have been treating farmers and suppliers unfairly.

It is great news that the Commission has proposed a set of remedies aimed at stopping their bully boy tactics - these have finally come after years of campaigning by Friends of the Earth.

They will toughen up the Supermarket Code of Practice - which aims to stamp out unfair practices. They have also called for a new watchdog to police the code.

We now need to make sure the supermarkets don't weaken their plans - the Commission must stick to their strong remedies.

Please take this opportunity to demand that the Commission recommends strong powers for the ombudsman - and that they don't allow the supermarkets to water down the Code of Practice.

Email the Competition Commission

Dear Group Chairman,

I am delighted that the Competition Commission has recommended a stronger Supermarket Code of Practice and the appointment of an ombudsman to oversee it. It is now vital that the remedies are implemented as soon as possible and I would urge you to stand firm with your proposals and not allow the supermarkets to weaken the remedies as they did following the last inquiry. It is essential that the ombudsman is given sufficient powers to enable them to ensure that the Code is adhered to. They need to be proactive in gathering evidence from suppliers, including primary producers and overseas suppliers. The ombudsman must also be able to make changes to the Code if evidence of unfair practices not yet covered is found. If the supermarkets will not agree to the proposed remedies and the Government is tasked with setting up the ombudsman I would urge you to recommend that they are given these powers.

You can contact me by email (preferably - to save resources) or at the following address:

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Stop supermarket bullying3 June 2008

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Stop supermarket bullying
3 June 2008