Corporate
Code Of Responsibility
The Campaign Against
Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) drew up the following
Corporate Code of Responsibility for Transnational
Corporations (TNCs) operating in this country.
Primarily, the Code is
a campaigning tool and is deliberately brief. The Code is
a positive statement of what we are for, rather than what
we are against. For example,
* |
political
parties can adopt it as the basis of their
policies towards TNCs. |
* |
local
bodies can require TNCs to agree to it before
moving into their region. |
* |
ordinary
people can say that they will only accept foreign
investment into New Zealand/Aotearoa by TNCs
which accept this Code. |
The
CAFCA Code was not created as a gimmick to
counter-balance the Government's beneficiary-bashing Code
of Social Responsibility. But we urged people to send the
Government back a copy of this Corporate Code of
Responsibility on the basis that it should concentrate on
the mugger, not the mugger's victim.
It was created after
researching a large number of international codes for a
model applicable here in New Zealand/Aotearoa. A draft
was sent to various sector groups for comment. Further
comments are welcome.
It was publicly
launched at the Taking Control conference against
transnationals, in Christchurch, in February 1998. It is
also available from CAFCA in printed form (one side of an
A4 sheet).
Corporate Code
of Responsibility
Human Rights: Transnationals
shall
- not kill, enslave or imprison
people
- improve, and not take advantage of
or worsen, the position of the disadvantaged in
society
- aid and not hinder the desire of
peoples to protect and enhance their own cultures
- in all of their activities ensure
freedom from physical, emotional or sexual abuse
- in all of their activities not
discriminate on the basis of sex, marital status,
religious belief, ethical belief, colour, race,
ethnic or national origins, disability, age,
political opinion, employment status, union
membership, family status or sexual orientation,
except as permitted by law to improve the
position of disadvantaged groups.
Workers
Rights: Transnationals shall
- not use their international power
and mobility as a weapon or threat against
workers
- not use child or forced labour
- pay wages and salaries to their
workers that allow a dignified existence
- protect the right of their workers
to work no more than a forty hour week, paying
penal rates for any time worked in excess
- allow workers the freedom and
right to belong to a union, associate, organise
and bargain collectively
- negotiate with workers
authorised representatives in good faith
- give preference to residents of
Aotearoa for employment
- provide safe and healthy working
conditions
- respect and maintain the rights of
their employees to take statutory annual leave
and holidays
- abide by all International Labour
Organisation (ILO) conventions.
Legal and
government: Transnationals shall
- not use their international power
and mobility as a weapon or threat against
governments, their policies, taxation and other
revenue, currencies or economies
- not demand greater benefits than
local people or investors
- not interfere in intergovernmental
relations
- not interfere in the internal
affairs of host countries or attempt to
manipulate or defeat public opinion or political
leaders
Treaty of
Waitangi: Transnationals shall
- act in accordance with Te Tiriti o
Waitangi
Environment: Transnationals
shall
- ensure all their activities
maintain the integrity of local and global
ecosystems
- protect air, water and soil from
pollution, accepting and implementing required
standards as a minimum
- accept the anticipatory principle:
that it is better to prevent a problem than fix
it afterwards
- accept the precautionary
principle: that in the absence of sufficient
scientific knowledge, the benefit of the doubt
shall be given to the course of action that has
least risk of serious damage to health, safety or
the environment
- respect local environmental
legislation and standards
- accept the necessity to deposit
substantial bonds and to pay for any damage
caused
- reduce, re-use and recycle
materials wherever practical
- preserve and protect indigenous
vegetation, wildlife and habitats
- respect animal rights.
Commercial
practices and consumers: Transnationals
shall
- not exploit a dominant market
position, nor attempt to gain such a position
- not use their international power
and mobility as a means to manipulate prices
- not use their intellectual
property rights to deprive people of rights
formerly theirs, or of benefits they should
reasonably expect
- ensure the health and safety of
customers and communities in marketing their
products, freely disclosing to the public all
appropriate information on the products
contents and possible hazardous effects
- provide good and fair service to
all customers
- obey in letter and spirit the
standards of host countries, and international
standards where they are more stringent,
regarding financial information and consumer
protection.
General: Transnationals
shall
- not purchase from, sell to, or
contract work to, parts of their own or other
businesses which disobey these principles
- at all times obey both the spirit
and the letter of the law of host countries
- promote and adhere to the goals of
sustainable and equitable development and full
employment
- respect the monitoring and
enforcement of this code and comply with any
resulting recommendations.
Campaign Against Foreign Control of
Aotearoa, P.O. Box 2258, Christchurch, New
Zealand/Aotearoa. February 1998.
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