CODE OF ETHICS
Company and Individual Members:
1. Shall, by contributing time and expertise without financial reward, serve the local rail community.
2. Shall conduct themselves in a manner which will merit the respect of the local rail community for companies engaged in their type of business.
3. Shall build and uphold the reputation of the railway industry in South Africa, the reputation of the cluster, and of fellow members of the cluster, and abide by the South African Rolling Stock Cluster (SARSC) code of practice.
4. Shall carry out their own business and cluster activities with integrity.
5. Shall participate in the cluster without bias, and present facts, rather than allow personal or company views to influence judgement, interpretation, analysis, and presentation.
6. Shall not discuss with or disclose to any person not authorised by the cluster members any information, data, result, report, or proposal arising from their involvement in a cluster activity, nor cause to allow confidential information to be misused or to be published in any way without the permission of the cluster membership.
7. Shall promote healthy business competitiveness and not discuss pricing with other members or collaborate on pricing with anyone without establishing a formal business relationship beforehand.
8. Shall not use information acquired during any cluster activities which in any way could be detrimental to the cluster or to any of the cluster members.
9. Shall not receive any undisclosed material benefits other than normal business profits made in the course of business.
Notes:
Best practice - uphold seeks to identify and disseminate better practices but does not endorse any specific consultancy.
Best practice - SARSC has universal aspirations and fully appreciates its critical role in transforming the sector into a globally competitive industry. While seeking to disseminate good practices, it hesitates to endorse a particular company, in ways that can create institutional rivalries or that would indicate undue bias.
Constitutional - SARSC strives to have a positive and important social impact. It will grow only to the extent that its members feel that all are being well served. Therefore the organisation acts transparently, keeps members well informed of activities and encourages broad involvement of its members.
Confidentiality (above) -SARSC membership lists will not be sold or utilised for purposes other than those consistent with the Cluster Objectives as laid out in the Constitution.
CODE OF PRACTICE
Company and Individual Members:
Shall support the aspirational commitments required of them to participate in the revitalisation of the South African Railways industry, by:
1. Maximising localisation of production and content by engaging in value adding activities, to build economies of scale, in an effort to achieve global cost competitiveness,
2. Profiling, and benchmarking business practices and cost,
3. Implementing ISO 9001 and other world-class business practices in their own businesses (manufacturing and assembly)
4. Achieving and maintaining a BBBEE accreditation of level 4 or better by 2015,
5. Observing and exceeding the diversity objectives to ensure a sustainable pool of qualified technical and managerial resources is achieved,
6. Recruiting talented individuals and Training and Developing them to achieve their full potential in the industry,
7. Championing supply chain excellence by Transfer of Technology, and implementation of best business practices (including ISO), in downstream business,
8. By inviting suppliers to join the South African Rolling Stock cluster, or establishing a sub-cluster(s).
Further, the membership code of practice acknowledges the need for members to:
MUTUAL RESPECT
Respect each other’s time, person and ideas. Diversity of thought, skill and culture, is our strength.
CO-OPERATION
Work in cooperation with each other, associated industry stakeholders, SOE’s and government, and throughout the railway supply chain, to drive development and innovation.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
Observe national and local legislative standards and regulations, with effect to all aspects of their business.
PRODUCT QUALITY
Foster a desire for excellence throughout the supply chain through activities designed to develop their suppliers at all tiers within the manufacturing framework.
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
Observe national and local laws and regulations regarding the protection and preservation of the environment.
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
Acknowledge that mere compliance will not result in the aspirational outcomes sought, and actively participate in workgroups aimed at developing South African centric employment practices that will foster a vibrant culture of learning and development in the industry, and create a work ethic commensurate with world class competition.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Provide a safe and healthy workplace.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Actively participate in programs to promote Socio-Economic and Enterprise Development, through which communities and aspirant small suppliers can become involved with the railway industry in South Africa.
Members are encouraged to integrate socially responsible behaviour into their policies, procedures, and practices (including conservation of materials and improvements in efficient use of energy), and to become recognised champions of good business in their local communities.
I, ______{insert Name}______, ______{insert Capacity}______, authorised representative of member company ______{insert Company Name}______, acknowledge that I had read, and agree to adhere to the principles of the SARSC Constitution, the Code of Ethics, and to the Code of Practice as stated above.
Signed: ______Date: ______