Century of charter signatories is notched up
A century of signatories has been notched up for the Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility.
The initiative, launched by the city council last year, honours businesses and other organisations for their efforts to maximise social value from their daily operations.
A total of 32 organisations were accredited at the latest awards ceremony staged at Birmingham Council House today (November 3) – with Carillion, the construction company that built the Library of Birmingham, earning charter certificate number 100.
Under the terms of their Charter action plan, Carillion, also working on the Paradise Circus redevelopment, has built close links with the council’s Employment Action Team to ensure recruitment is targeted to those in disadvantaged areas.
And as part of their “good employer†commitments, they will pay the Living Wage which was today increased nationally to £7.85 per hour and reiterate their commitment to not use worker blacklists.
They have also agreed to extend an early payment facility to all subcontract packages to ensure their suppliers are paid within 30 days – and will allocate one per cent of their project margins (project income minus project costs) to community projects and activities.
Cllr Stewart Stacey, Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Contracting and Improvement, said: “I am delighted we have reached such a significant landmark – there are now 100 organisations of all shapes and sizes that officially share the city council’s vision for fairness and equality in business.
“The charter makes a clear statement about those that have earned it – they look after their employees, the environment, those in their supply chain and the communities they work amongst.
“As a council, we control £1billion of spending annually, so we want to make sure that every penny of taxpayer money is spent in a way that delivers the maximum benefits for the people of Birmingham. The charter is a mechanism to do this.â€
Chris Hall, Carillion Midlands Development Director, said: “As a strategic Partner of Birmingham City Council, Carillion is delighted to commit to the Business Charter for Social Responsibility.
“We see this commitment as an integral part of how we deliver projects throughout the City and assist local businesses and individuals to prosper.â€
The organisations honoured today were:
Acivico – Delivers construction-related projects for the city council, which wholly-owns the company.
Auto Moto – MOT test centre.
Carillion – Company that built the Library of Birmingham and is contracted to deliver the Paradise Forum redevelopment in the city centre.
Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd – Supplier of vending machines and cold drinks.
Consilium Technical Services – A specialist design company in all aspects of temporary traffic management for the construction industry, local authorities and event management organisers.
Deloitte LLP – Financial services provider.
Education Staffing Link Limited – Provider of teaching staff to schools.
Ember PSS Ltd – Provider of transition support for contact centre staff ahead of transfer of in-house transfer.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car – Car hire firm.
Filtered Water Coolers Ltd – Small local company not currently a council contractor.
Focused Security Services Ltd – Birmingham-based provider of a range of security solutions.
The Furnishing Service Ltd – Supplier of furniture, furnishing and white goods.
Haystoun Construction Ltd – Firm working on civil engineering projects.
HCL Social Care – Provider of social workers to the city council.
Hi-spec Services – Provision of cleaning services.
IceBlue Marketing & Design Ltd – Provider of Finditinbirmingham web portal.
Impact Training & Consultation Ltd – Provider of training services to the council.
Kitaure Construction Ltd – Provider of minor adaptations for citizens with mobility issues.
Mapei UK Ltd – Provider of training sessions in college construction departments.
Mears Limited – Repairs and maintenance for the city council’s housing stock.
Michael Mandelstam Ltd – Provider of training services to the council.
Nobisco Limited – Provider of cleaning materials.
Opal Contracts – Engineering firm.
Otis Lifts Ltd – Supplier of elevators.
Penderels Trust – Provider of training services to the council.
Purple Moon Promotional Products Ltd – Supplier of a wide range of promotional products.
Raleigh UK Ltd – Bicycle manufacturer.
Rentokil Initial UK Ltd – Janitorial supplies.
Sweett Group – Provider of agency staff for the council’s construction-related projects.
West Midlands Supplies Ltd – Supplier of work/protective clothes to construction companies.
W.V.Howe – Supplier of catering disposables and equipment.
Zurich Municipal – Insurance company.
More information on the charter and a full list of signatories can be viewed at www.finditinbirmingham.com/charter
Pictures from the ceremony can be found on the Birmingham Newsroom Flickr feed.
ENDS
For more media information please contact Kris Kowalewski on 0121 303 3621
About the Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility
The Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility is a set of guiding principles to which Birmingham City Council will adhere and which it will invite its contracted suppliers, the wider business community, other public sector bodies (including schools), and third sector organisations (including grant recipients), to adopt.
Charter signatories will consider and describe how they can improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of Birmingham that result from their activities. Organisations tendering for council contracts as of September 2013 will have to adopt the charter. Existing contractors are also invited to do the same. The charter, once adopted, becomes a contractual term: that is, failure to perform their action plan could see them stripped of their contract in the same way as if they failed to, say, pay the council rent for their premises.
A full charter award is where a business is ready to commit to and deliver against the full requirements of the charter. A “working towards†award is presented when a non-contracting company is not able to commit to the full set of requirements, but is working towards achieving them. There is a three-year period during which a company can move from “working towards†to full certification.
Where a pre-September 2013 contract involves multiple parties such as PFI arrangements (e.g. the highways maintenance contract), a separate agreement is signed to govern the charter adoption. In this case, failure to deliver against the action plan, after usual efforts to rectify, will result in the embarrassing withdrawal of the charter certification but not the contract itself. Any part-completed actions must be completed or costs reimbursed such that another party can complete them.
Charter Principles
Local Employment – Charter signatories will create employment and training opportunities for local people especially in target areas
Buy Birmingham First – Charter signatories will take account of the social and economic impacts of buying locally when commissioning and contracting, thereby reducing unemployment and raising the skill level of the local workforce. This means advertising procurement opportunities through www.finditinbirmingham.com
Partners in Communities – Charter signatories will play an active role in the local community and community support organisations, especially in those areas and communities with the greatest need
Good Employer – Charter signatories will support staff development and welfare and adopt the Birmingham Living Wage
Green and Sustainable – Charter signatories will commit to protecting the environment, minimising waste and energy consumption and using other resources efficiently
Ethical Procurement – Charter signatories will commit to employing the highest ethical standards in their own operations and those within their supply chain
