Chelmsford TUC

Our wider movement

Ethical Investments

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association has two branches affiliated to Chelmsford TUC and we are proud to be the first website to promote its Ethical Investment Charter. This initiative by the TSSA (perhaps a first in the trade union world) is so important that we have decided to print it in full. At the 2001 Annual Conference of Trades Councils delegates gave their support to the Charter and the International Transport Transport Workers’ Federation has accepted its principles. We, too, congratulate the TSSA on their Charter and hope that other trade unions will respond. Please tell your colleagues about it; raise the Charter in your branch, regional committee, Trades Council, and write to your Executive Committee.

TSSA Ethical Investment Charter

"The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) believes that its investments should be made in companies that have stable and secure working environments in which trade unions are recognised and employees are valued as the core element in the company’s future well-being.

As a trade union, we look to companies to demonstrate their commitment to all their employees by reference to the appropriate International Labour Organisation conventions which cover:

  • freedom from discrimination;
  • freedom from bonded or forced labour;
  • freedom from oppression;
  • freedom from dangerous working conditions;
  • freedom of association;
  • the right to organise and free collective bargaining;
  • elimination of the worst forms of child labour; and the right to equal remuneration.

We will expect companies in which we invest to work with their existing suppliers and sub-contractors to implement policies on employee rights.

We will achieve our objectives through a policy of engagement and persuasion. Our investment managers have been instructed to take account of the above principles, to bring this Charter to the attention of those companies in which we hold shares and, if necessary, to seek to persuade them to take account of our principles. We will allow a reasonable period of time for our aspirations to be achieved.

We recognise that it is not possible to achieve our aims of a more reasonable corporate management in isolation and we wish to see progress towards the establishment of a world-wide "Ethical Investment Charter". We believe that the collective financial strength of those unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and other like-minded bodies should be marshalled and these bodies encouraged to use their financial power to achieve our objectives.

We will monitor the progress of our Charter continuously."