Delay on Sheffield Council ethical business policy – “it has to be right”
A long-awaited Sheffield council policy aiming to ensure that it spends money with businesses that have high ethical standards – including avoiding links with genocide – faces another delay.
The council’s finance and performance policy committee was due to have approved an updated version of its ethical procurement policy yesterday (October 20).
Councillors accepted that the policy still needs to go out to a further brief consultation with key businesses and organisations. The consultation was based on a draft policy following several months of discussions by a cross-party working group and the involvement of council officers.
Palestine campaigners have been pressing hard for the policy update as they want to ensure the council does not do business with companies that are involved with arms firms or are complicit in Israeli genocide in Palestine. They have particularly pointed to the council continuing to bank with Barclay’s.
The policy would also cover issues such as employment practices, equality, modern slavery and minimising the impact on the environment.
The latter is in line with the council’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Frustrated
The policy is now due to come before the committee for consideration at its December meeting.
Green councillors on the committee, who have pushed for the policy, accepted the need for the delay.
Coun Martin Phipps said: “It has been a long process, We’ve been frustrated not to have been able to bring it forward sooner.”
He added: “We need to make sure that we have consulted properly with everyone but we need to get the right policy out there.”
Chair Coun Zahira Naz said: “I don’t want to spend a penny on supporting a genocide in other parts of the world. This ethical procurement policy has to do what it says on the tin and it has to be right.”
She said that is particularly important as the document will not just sit on a shelf, it will be used by the council.
Robust
Following the meeting, Coun Naz said the cross-party working group has asked for more time to ensure the policy is robust, transparent and fit for purpose.
She added: “Sheffield has always stood up for justice and fairness. We want a policy that lives up to that tradition, one that makes sure every pound we spend aligns with our city’s values.”
Councillors also agreed to adopt a modern slavery policy which will be linked to the ethical procurement policy. Modern slavery refers to exploitation including human trafficking, debt bondage and forced labour.
Head of policy and purchasing Laurie Brennan said it affects adults and children in equal measure, including vulnerable populations.
The policy covers the identification and referral of victims to help, supporting survivors and minimising modern slavery in council supply chains.
A training package will help council staff to identify warning signs that modern slavery is taking place and what action to take.
Victims
The issue will be taken up with the council’s supply chain to ensure that contractors and sub-contractors are committed to preventing modern slavery.
Coun Elle Dodd said there were 19,000 people reported nationally last year as potential victims of modern slavery – the actual number might be 100,000. One in three were children and more than one in five were British citizens.
She added: “One of the thing that’s quite striking to me that it’s very likely that we all in our everyday lives could come across people who are in this situation.
“It’s people in domestic labour, it’s people in construction and manufacturing. It’s people in nail bars as well as people in more illicit activities such as cannabis farming.”