The federal government has confirmed it will impose new obligations on large supermarket chains to treat their suppliers fairly, enforced by hefty fines.
  • In short: The government has confirmed it will impose a mandatory behaviour code on supermarkets, focusing on how they treat their suppliers.
  • As recommended by Dr Craig Emerson, fines of up to $10 million would apply to supermarkets who breach their obligations to act in good faith.
  • What’s next? The government has asked the ACCC to look into customer prices, but the final report is months away.
  • FluidMEnglish
    72·
    5 months ago

    Oh no! A code of conduct! Please stop flogging me with that wet lettuce leaf…

    • MHLoppy@fedia.ioOP
      11·
      5 months ago

      Supermarkets that fail to meet these requirements would open themselves to fines worth three times any benefit they derived from their misconduct.

      Alternatively, the fine could be up to $10 million, or 10 per cent of the supermarket’s annual turnover if the benefit can’t be determined.

      Those fines would need to be approved by a court, but consumer watchdog the ACCC could also issue up-front infringement notices worth up to $187,800 if they believe there has been a breach.

      Are you not entertained?

      • FluidMEnglish
        5·
        5 months ago

        And zero consequences for their egregious past behaviour…

        • SalvoEnglish
          3·
          5 months ago

          The consequences will that their record profits since COVID-19 will dry up and they will need to figure out other ways of cutting expenses.

          They will crash like they did in the 1980s and rationalise their business model by selling off their smaller branches. IGA will suddenly have a lot more members, Foodworks will be much bigger and Tuckerbag may even make a comeback.

          The problem is that they have overcapitalised. Near us, we have two very large Woolworths within walking distance from each other. Two suburbs over, it is the same with two very large Coles’s.