WHY WE HAVE A CODE OF CONDUCT
Timber Development UK (TDUK) is the leading voice for timber importers, distributors and traders across the UK. Our members are often the first placers of goods on to the UK market. As such we have a duty of care towards the rest of the downstream supply chain. TDUK acts as the guardian of standards, quality and sustainability in the timber supply chain.
The Code of Conduct demonstrates the TDUK’s commitment to delivering quality and service. Our Members are committed to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the conduct of their business.
The Code of Conduct sets out the principles by which Members agree to behave. Members will not knowingly misrepresent facts or mislead any customers or suppliers concerning any aspects of the goods and services they provide. They also agree to abide by specific codes of practice relevant to their business.
Importantly, our Sustainability Code of Practice commits TDUK Members to the highest standard of environmental practice. Our Responsible Purchasing Policy (RPP) enables compliance with the requirements of the UK Timber Regulation (UKTR), by providing tools and relevant guidance.
Our Members are committed to providing clear, responsive and user-friendly procedures to deal with complaints should they arise. If these fail to deal with a given problem, a customer may then initiate a disciplinary procedure under this Code.
The Disciplinary Procedure also gives the TDUK powers to address alleged breaches of this Code of Conduct.
TDUK consists of three Products Divisions, the National Hardwood Division, the National Panel Products Division and the National Softwood Division. Additionally there are International and UK Suppliers Divisions.
Each Full Member is obliged to be a member of one Division appropriate to their function within the industry. They may also join any other Division. Within each Division there may be one or a number of Divisional committees.
Each Division shall have an executive committee elected by its members. Subject to the provision of these Rules, the Divisions and/or their committees shall perform such functions as the Members may require.
Divisions and Committees may determine their own rules and procedures but no such rules or any amendment thereto shall become effective unless approved by the Governing Board. There is also a Sustainability Committee, generally known as the Forests Forever Executive Board.
The Governing Board may, from time to time, appoint Committees with appropriate terms of reference.
The following types of membership of the Federation are available:
a. Full Member
Any sole trader or partnership whose principal place of business is situated within the United Kingdom, or a company or limited liability partnership incorporated within the United Kingdom engaged in the timber trade.
b. Associate Member
Any sole trader, partnership, company or limited liability partnership whose principal place of business or place of incorporation is outside the United Kingdom, or any business or firm engaged in activities ancillary to or providing services for the trade but not actively engaged in the trade may apply to become an Associate Member.
1. To abide by the Memorandum and Articles of Association Timber Development UK and the Code of Conduct.
2. All Members are required to provide, annually, evidence of a robust due diligence system as outlined in the Sustainability Code of Practice. Failure to do so may lead to expulsion from the Federation. Should expulsion take place, the Member shall also remain liable for their membership fee for that year.
3. All Members shall submit a report to Timber Development UK on which their fee will be assessed based on their timber transactions. Such report should relate to the most recent trading year. In this context, ‘Timber’ shall mean any softwood or hardwood (including sleepers, poles, pitwood), veneer, plywood (including battenboard, blockboard, laminboard and similar laminated wood products), particleboard (including chipboard, flaxboard, OSB, waferboard and other related panels) and fibreboard, whether in their raw state or further processed. For the purposes of this definition ‘further processed’ shall include, but not be restricted to, timber that has been debarked, hewn, sawn, chipped, riven, incised, cleft, cross-cut, trimmed, peeled, sliced, turned, dried, seasoned, soaked, steamed, impregnated, preserved, planed, machined (including beaded and/or moulded) sanded, finger or otherwise jointed, laminated, bonded, veneered or overlayed on faces and/or edges with any material painted, lacquered, varnished or stained and shall include engineered products, such as I-beams.
4. All Members shall submit a Director’s Statement and pay their membership fee either within 30 days of the invoice date or shall have submitted a Direct Debit instruction on which payments can be drawn. Failing to do so shall leave them liable to suspension followed by expulsion.
5. Any Members wishing to withdraw from membership shall give written notice thereof to the Chief Executive at least three calendar months before their membership renewal date and, in default thereof, shall be liable for the annual fee for the following year.
6. In the case of a Group, all companies within the Group that are engaged in the timber trade shall also be Members of Timber Development UK. In this respect, any resignation shall also apply to the whole of the Group. Governing Board shall have the discretion to treat companies within a group as companies in their own right where appropriate.
a. An applicant for membership shall apply to the Federation on the appropriate electronic form.
b. In the case of an application for full membership the application shall be supplied with a proposer and seconder, who should themselves be members of the Federation of at least two years standing.
c. All applicants shall agree to be bound by the Code of Conduct and pay the appropriate subscription as determined from time to time by the Governing Board.
d. No applicant shall officially become a Member of the Federation until payment of the appropriate subscription and then, and only then, upon receipt of evidence of a robust due diligence system.
e. In considering an application for membership, an applicant will be expected to have demonstrated conduct and behaviour consistent with the aims and objectives of the Federation as set out in its Code of Conduct and the Codes of Practice contained therein. Applicants that were previously members of the Federation within the five years prior to an application being received will be expected to demonstrate a greater degree of compliance with the aims and objectives of the federation as set out in its Code of Conduct and the Codes of Practice contained therein.
f. Any final decision in respect of membership shall rest with the Governing Board and, without prejudice to the above; the Governing Board shall have the right to refuse an application for membership in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Timber Development UK.
There is a Regional Associations structure covering the United Kingdom. The following are approved Regional Associations:
- East Anglian Timber Trade Association
- London & South East Timber Trade Association
- North East Timber Trade Association
- North West Timber Trade Association
- Southern Region Timber Trade Association
- Western Timber Trade Association
a. All regional associations are bound by a Common Set of Rules as agreed by Governing Board.
b. Ultimately, all full members of regional associations must be members of the Federation. Regional associations may accept new company members for a 24–month introductory period, after which the company is required to become a Full or Associate TDUK Member. Full TDUK membership then provides full access to the website and reports where applicable. Companies not taking up TDUK membership after the 24-month introduction period will not be able to continue in regional membership.
Code of Conduct
This Code of Conduct (“Code”) is intended to assist Members of TDUK to maintain and improve the standards of conduct within the industry by assuring all market stakeholders that dealing with a TDUK member means dealing with a reputable organisation.
For the purposes of the Code the expression “Member” shall not include Associate Members as defined in the Articles of Association and bye-laws of the Federation.
Otherwise the Code shall be binding on all Members. Members joining shall signify that they subscribe to the Code by signing the membership application form.
All Members shall additionally subscribe to the provisions of the sustainability code of Practice and the Codes of Practice relevant to their business which currently comprise the:
- Hardwood Code of Practice
- Panel Products Code of Practice
- Softwood Code of Practice
It is intended that the Code does not in all cases indicate in precise terms particular action which should or should not be taken but sets out principles which Members are required to apply with good sense, honesty and integrity in the spirit of the Code.
Failure to observe the Code or the relevant Code of Practice could lead to the imposition upon the Member by the Federation of fines, suspension from membership or expulsion from the Federation in accordance with the disciplinary Procedure of the Federation.
The Code and/or the Disciplinary Procedure may be amended when necessary with the approval by the membership at an Annual General Meeting.
Nothing in this Code restricts or is intended to restrict the rights of a complainant or a Member to pursue remedies through the Courts except where the Member or complainant seeks resolution of the complaint by binding arbitration.
The Disciplinary Procedure may not be invoked where the complaint has been the subject of a judicial decision or upon which judicial or arbitration proceedings have been commenced.
Members acknowledge and agree that any award, fine, penalty cost compensation, or restitution (“Award”) made under the Disciplinary Procedure may be recovered as a debt by the party in whose favour such Award is made.
MEMBERS SHALL:
- Conduct their businesses lawfully and comply with all relevant legislation and trade fairly and responsibly.
- Behave at all times with integrity and act responsibly and with care in the day-to-day conduct of their business;
- Not knowingly misrepresent facts or mislead any customer or supplier concerning any aspect of the goods and services they provide;
- Respect confidential information to which they may, in the course of business, become privy;
- Provide adequate training and instruction to their employees and agents bringing the contents and application of this Code and its principles to their attention and requiring such employees and agents to carry out their duties in accordance with the Code;
- Follow and comply with any instruction or guidance note or advice (where
applicable) issued by the Federation; - Make known and publicise the existence of the Code and where appropriate provide details of the Disciplinary Procedure;
- Notify the Federation of any matter which might adversely affect the reputation of the industry or the Federation;
- Co-operate fully and in a timely manner with any regulatory or statutory body and/or the TDUK in the investigation and determination of any complaint made and referred to such body or the Federation;
- Provide to all persons, with whom the Member does business, clear, accurate, pre-contractual information and clear terms and conditions of supply including fair contract terms;
- Institute in the Members organisation clear, timely, responsive and userfriendly procedures for dealing with complaints and adhere to such procedures and time limits;
- Be bound by and comply with the Disciplinary Procedures if required.
This Sustainability Code of Practice has been developed for TDUK Members with businesses operating in the timber industry.
Its aim is to provide a generic set of commitments to ensure that TDUK Members take steps to manage the environmental, social, and economic impacts of their businesses. All TDUK Members are required to adopt and implement this Code of Practice as an integral part of the TDUK Code of Conduct.
1. TDUK Members will have a sustainability policy or set of sustainability commitments (“policy”) in place within their business. Existing Members should have a policy already in place, and any new members will have a policy within a year of becoming a member.
2. As an integral part of this policy, Members must make a public commitment to source timber and timber products from legal and well-managed forests and recognise that third-party certification schemes are a useful tool in providing assurances.
3. Members will implement within their procurement/purchasing function a due diligence system in line with the TDUK Codes’ Core Criteria for Procurement Due Diligence which can be found in section 1.2 of the RPP Tool B – Due Diligence Guidance document. An example of such a system is the TDUK’s Responsible Purchasing Policy, available to Full Members.
4. Members will make every reasonable effort to minimise their material environmental impacts, including but not exclusively:
– Carbon Emissions, through efficient use of energy and fuel
– Waste, through efficient use of material resources
5. Members will not make misleading or unsubstantiated sustainability claims.
NORMATIVE REQUIREMENTS
a. Members will ensure that all relevant personnel employed by them will be conversant with and abide by the Code of Practice and its implications.
b. All full members are required to make an annual submission or its equivalent to the TDUK, outlining their purchases made for a defined 12-month period.
c. All members first placing timber and timber products onto the market must have clear risk management strategies and mitigation processes as part of a fully functioning and operationalised due diligence system.
d. All operators (first placers) agree to have their due diligence system audited by the TDUK approved third party auditor and rectify any corrective actions that may arise within the prescribed time scales.
e. Where Members knowingly contravene any part of the Code of Practice, the TDUK will invoke the TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure. All Members agree to abide by the current TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure.
All TDUK Members dealing in softwood and associated products are required to adopt and comply with this Code of Practice for use as a public and promotional document forming an integral part of TDUK Code of Conduct.
Its aim is to assist Members in the promotion of their company’s efforts to correctly supply accurately marked and labelled products and to ensure the exposure of those known to be breaching the Code as a result of wilful product mislabelling or mismarking.
This Code will apply to all softwood products of any dimension and is binding to all TDUK Members dealing in such goods.
1. Every effort will be made to ensure that products supplied will be correctly marked. Pack markings must correctly and accurately represent the timber which they contain, in terms of quality, dimension or structural grade. End stamps where they are applied should reflect the shippers normal published marking scheme.
2. Structural grade stamps where applied must comply with the marking requirements of BS EN 14081. This should include the application of a Wet or Dry mark to correctly represent the moisture content at the time when the Strength Grading took place, and the stamp was applied. These requirements shall be incorporated in all supply contracts.
3. Where products are offered as made to BS or BS EN standards, or the recognised standards of other producing nations, Members will ensure that all the specification requirements of these standards are adhered to. In instances where no contractual reference is made to any specified standard, or specific agreement between the parties, the dimensional tolerances of the product will be as per BS EN 336 for Structural Softwood, BS EN 1313, Part 1, for Sawn and Processed Softwoods, and BS 1297 for Tongue and Groove Softwood Flooring.
4. Furthermore, where preservative treatments are required, Members shall adhere to the guidance provided within the Code of Practice BS 8417 for the choice, use and application of wood preservatives.
A. Preservative treated wood is being accurately and unambiguously specified/purchased, for use or resale, and is clearly identified at all points of the chain (on orders, internal stock movement records and sales records) as fit for the intended purpose.
As a minimum this will require identification of the product as suitable for either:
• Interior Use only – Use Class 2
• Exterior use above ground – Use Class 3U
• Ground Contact – Use Class 4
(Point A. To be implemented by all TDUK members by 31st March 2021)
B. Customers purchasing treated products from TDUK members are provided with adequate information and, where appropriate, the training materials developed by TDUK / WPA to be able to use and install those products safely and effectively.
(Point B. To be implemented by all TDUK members by 31st March 2021)
C. Preservative treated wood is being produced by or purchased, directly or indirectly, from a treatment provider whose operation has been assessed and approved under an independent and reputable accreditation scheme (e.g. WPA Benchmark in the UK, the Nordic NTR scheme or other similar).
(Point C. To be implemented by all TDUK members by 30th June 2022)
5. No Member shall require any producer or seller to supply any productdeliberately mis-marked or unmarked, which may give a false impression of the
grade, dimension, structural grade or origin of the goods in question.
6. No Member will mis-describe any softwood product offered for sale, in terms of dimension, quality or structural grade. This includes where structural timber is supplied that all reasonable efforts are made to identify constructional end uses and to ensure in such circumstances the material supplied complies with the moisture content requirements laid down in BS 4978 for Visual Strength Grading and BS EN 14081.
7. No Member will alter or deface any manufacturer’s product or packing marks with the intention of misrepresenting the product’s grade or description. Where Members receive goods that they have reason to believe have been altered or defaced they undertake to inform the National Softwood Division (“NSD”) of the supplier involved via the TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure.
8. In cases where Members believe a breach of the Code has been committed as a result of product misrepresentation it is agreed that this must be reported to the appropriate government or legal authorities. They also undertake to inform the TDUK via the TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure of the allegation, and to co-operate fully in any subsequent investigation and any resulting disciplinary proceedings.
9. Members undertake to ensure that all relevant personnel employed by them will be conversant with and abide by the appropriate Codes of Practice and
their implications.
10. Members having ownership of stock undertake to carry out random consignment inspections in respect of both imported and locally purchased products in order to verify that all product markings and descriptions accord with the requirements of the Code of Practice.
11. Where Members knowingly contravene any part of the Code of Practice, the NSD will invoke the TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure. All Members agree to abide by the current TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure.
All Timber Trade Federation (TTF) members dealing in hardwood and associated products are required to adopt and comply with this Code of Practice for use as a public and promotional document forming an integral part of the TTF Code of Conduct.
Its aim is to assist members in the promotion of their company’s efforts to correctly supply accurately marked and labelled products and to ensure the exposure of those known to be breaching the Code as a result of wilful product mis-labelling or mismarking.
This Code will apply to all hardwood products of any dimension and is binding on all TTF Members dealing in such goods.
1. No Member will deliberately misrepresent any hardwood product offered for sale in terms of species, quality, grade, dimension, measure, moisture content or any other aspect.
2. Where appropriate, every effort will be made to ensure that products supplied will be correctly marked. Any pack or board markings where present must correctly and accurately represent the timber which they refer to in terms of species, quality, dimension and whether or not kiln dried.
3. Where products are offered as made to BS or BS EN standards, or the recognised standards of producing nations, Members will ensure that all the specification requirements of these standards are adhered to. In instances where no contractual reference is made to any specified standard, or specific agreement between the parties, the dimensional tolerances for sawn and processed hardwood will be as per BS EN 1313, Part 2.
4. The conversion to metric measure of hardwood purchased in imperialdimension for sale in the United Kingdom will take account of the requirements given in the Hardwood Annex 1 – National Hardwood Division Metrication Code.
5. No Member shall require any producer or seller to supply any product deliberately mis-marked or unmarked, which may give a false impression of the grade, origin, whether or not kiln dried, or structural grade of the goods in question.
6. No Member will alter or deface any manufacturer’s product or packing marks with the intention of misrepresenting the product’s grade or description.
7. Structural grade stamps where applied must comply with the marking requirements of BS 5756 or BS 16737 for tropical hardwoods.
8. In cases where Members believe a breach of the Code of Practice has been committed as a result of product misrepresentation, or where any Member knowingly contravenes any part of the Code it is agreed that the allegation must be reported to the TTF via the TTF Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure, and where appropriate to legal or government authorities. Members will also co-operate fully in any subsequent investigation and any resulting disciplinary proceedings, and abide by its findings.
9. Members undertake to ensure that all relevant personnel employed by them will be conversant with and abide by the appropriate Codes of Practice and their implications.
10. Members undertake to carry out random consignment inspections in respect of both imported and locally purchased products in order to verify that all product markings and descriptions accord with the requirements of the Code of practice.
All TDUK Members dealing in panel products are required to adopt and comply with this Code of Practice for use as a public and promotional document forming an integral part of the TDUK Code of Conduct.
Its aim is to assist Members in the promotion of their company’s efforts to correctly supply accurately marked and labelled panel products and to ensure the exposure of those known to be breaching the Code as a result of wilful product mis-labelling or mismarking.
This Code will apply to all wood-based panel products of any thickness and is binding to all TDUK Members dealing in panel products.
1. All plywood packaging must be correctly and legibly marked with correct bond type, visual grade by face quality, nominal board thickness, manufacturer’s mark and specific country of origin. This information on Pack marking must correspond to information contained in the Declaration of Performance where the product is covered by the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). These marking requirements must also apply to all individual panels where practicable. These requirements shall be incorporated in all supply contracts and documentation, including sales invoices.
2. In addition, pack marking on plywood from China should identify the species within the core using the following descriptions:
- Poplar
- Eucalyptus
- Combination of Poplar & Eucalyptus (Combi Core)
- If other species are used, these should be correctly and specifically identified.
Species of face and back veneers should also be clearly identified.
Terms such as ‘as per invoice’ and “MLH” do not adequately describe the product and are not acceptable.
3. Where products are offered as made to BS or BS EN standards, or the recognised standards of other producing nations, Members will seek to ensure that all the specification requirements of these standards are adhered to. For plywood products only, where no contractual reference is made to any of the above types of standards, nominal thickness tolerances and glue bond descriptions specified in the latest available versions of relevant standard(s) to be adhered to – refer to Panel Products Code of Practice ‘Supplementary Guidelines – The Construction Products Regulation And Wood-Based Panels’.
3.1. Wood-based panels for construction, as defined within the Construction Products Regulation will meet the specific requirements set out in the Designated UK Standard EN 13986 for the relevant area of application.
3.2. Marine Plywood supplied by Members will meet the requirements of BS 1088 (Marine Plywood), Part 1 (Requirements) and Part 2 (Determination Of Bonding Quality Using Knife Test). TDUK requires all members placing marine plywood on the market to show evidence of third party quality assurance certification demonstrating full compliance with BS 1088.
3.3. The term ‘WBP’ plywood is obsolete and Members should not use it.The correct terminology is plywood with an EN 314, Class 3 Glue Bond.
3.4. In accordance with the requirements of the CPR all members trading in plywood shall provide:
- A copy of the Declaration of Performance (D.O.P)
- A copy of the Initial Type Testing (ITT) certificate used to produce the D.O.P
- A copy or copies of the glue bond testing undertaken during production of this batch of plywood. [Standard EN:13986, table 12 states that there should be at least one test per eight-hour shift – i.e. one test per day]
3.5. From January 1st 2018 members trading in plywood from non-EU countries, shall provide evidence of regular, independent third party testing to confirm the glue bond performance claims contained in the product D.O.P.
3.6. As part of routine RPP Due Diligence processes, members must demonstrate evidence of regular species testing for plywood from high risk
supply chains outside of the EU.
3.7. Plywood claiming to meet the higher performance level of EN 636, Class III should, in addition to demonstrating an EN 314, Class 3 Glue Bond, also provide evidence that all veneers used in its construction were sufficiently durable for exterior use which, on the basis of the recommendation in ENV 1099, would be species listed in EN 350 as Class 3 Moderately Durable and Better, which excludes the use of sapwood. Where evidence is not available that the veneers meet this durability requirement, then written advice must be provided that a trader further down the supply-chain or end-user would have to preservative treat or seal-treat the board in order for it to be sufficiently durable for normal exterior use.
3.8. Where products make CE or Chain of Custody claims, Members must ensure these are reproduced clearly as part of the pack marking. Where necessary this requirement is in addition to the marking requirements of these schemes.
3.9. BS EN 13986 states that where formaldehyde-containing materials, particularly aminoplastic resins, have been added to the product as part of the production process, the product shall be tested and classified into one of two classes: E1 or E2. All members should now trade in product that meets
the classification of E1.
4. No Member shall require any manufacturer or shipper to supply any product in an unmarked or mis-marked condition.
5. No Member will incorrectly describe any panel product offered for sale.
6. No Member will alter or deface any manufacturer’s product or packing marks with the intention of misrepresenting the product’s grade or description. Where Members receive goods that they have reason to believe have been altered or defaced they undertake to inform the National Panel Products Division (“NPPD”) of the supplier involved via the TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure.
7. In cases where Members believe a breach of the Code has been committed as a result of product misrepresentation it is agreed that this must be reported to the appropriate authorities. They also undertake to inform the TDUK via the TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure of the allegation and to co-operate in any subsequent investigation and any resulting disciplinary proceedings.
8. Members undertake to ensure that all relevant personnel employed by them will be conversant with and abide by the Code of Practice and its implications.
9. Members having ownership of stock, undertake to carry out random consignment inspections in respect of both imported and locally purchased products in order to verify that all product markings and descriptions accord with the requirements of the Code of Practice.
10. Where Members knowingly contravene any part of the Code of Practice, the NPPD will invoke the TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure. All Members agree to abide by the current TDUK Code of Conduct Disciplinary Procedure.
11. For specific clarification on adherence to the Panel Products Code of Practice, please refer to Plywood Annex 1 – ‘Supplementary Guidelines – The Construction Products Regulation and Wood-Based Panels’ at the end of this code, otherwise please contact the Timber Development UK.
Disciplinary procedure
1. General Application
1.1 The following provisions and procedures shall apply to all complaints against Full Members alleging a breach of the Federation’s Code of Conduct including that of its constituent Divisions.
2. Procedures
2.1 Complaints against a full member should be made in writing to the Managing Director, or their equivalent, at the TDUK. The complaint should name the company in question and provide evidence to support the claim.
2.2 Upon receipt by the Federation of a complaint against a Full Member, the Federation shall, in the first instance, refer the complaint to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), or their equivalent, of the Member company for a response to the allegations made by the complainant which must be provided within 14 days.
2.3 Where the complaint cannot be resolved by conciliation, the complaint shall be referred to a Disciplinary Panel of the Governing Board formed in accordance with Clause 4 of this Code which shall determine in what manner the complaint shall be investigated and determined. The Disciplinary Panel may, if required, appoint a suitably qualified independent investigator to prepare a factual report based on the evidence of both parties.
2.4 The Member and the complainant shall co-operate with the investigation and shall without limitation and in a timely manner provide such evidence as is in their possession or under their control to the Disciplinary Panel or its appointee(s), and shall permit the Disciplinary Panel or its appointee(s) to visit their premises, inspect their goods and where appropriate obtain and test any product relevant to the complaint.
2.5 Failure of a Member to comply with the requirements of this Clause 2 shall be itself considered a breach of the Code of Conduct.
3. Decisions
3.1 The Disciplinary Panel shall determine whether or not and to what extent a complaint has been upheld and shall make a recommendation to the Governing Board on the appropriate sanction to be applied to the member.
3.2 The sanction to be applied to the member shall be limited to a warning, fine, suspension or expulsion from membership of the Federation.
3.3 Any recommendation shall be considered at the earliest opportunity by Members of the Governing Board of the Federation which will accept, reject or amend the recommendation. The meeting can take place in person or via electronic means and is not limited to scheduled governing board meetings.
3.4 The decision of the Governing Board shall be communicated in writing to the parties within 7 days from the date of the meeting at which the decision was made.
3.5 The decision of the Governing Board shall be final, save that in the case of expulsion from membership of the Federation the Member shall have the right to appeal the decision. Any such appeal must be made in writing to the Federation within 28 days from the date of the notification of the decision to the parties.
3.6 An appeal shall be heard by the Governing Board at the next available opportunity, following receipt of the notice of appeal. The appellant or a representative of the appellant shall have the right to appear in person before the Board to state the reasons why the appeal is being made.
3.7 The Board shall consider the appeal and determine whether to uphold or reject the appeal. The decision of the Board will be communicated to the appellant in writing within 7 days of the date of the meeting at which the appeal was heard.
3.8 Any decision to expel shall be effective immediately following the period allowed for an appeal or, as the case may be, 7 days following a meeting of the Governing Board at which an appeal against expulsion has been rejected.
3.9 In the event of suspension or expulsion, the Member company can be publicly named as having breached the Code of Conduct and therefore
been subject to disciplinary procedures.
3.10 In the event of suspension or expulsion, the Member company shall not be entitled to the refund of any subscription.
4. The Disciplinary Panel
4.1 A Disciplinary Panel consisting of the President or Vice-President together with 3 TDUK Directors selected by the Chief Executive from the current Governing Board membership will be convened by the Chief Executive. The Members selected will be approached on the basis of their impartiality, experience and availability. It is the responsibility of the Chief Executive to decide whether any party is considered to raise a conflict of interest.
4.2 The Disciplinary Panel will be chaired by either the Chair or Vice-Chair of the Governing Board (if the Chair has a Conflict of Interest then it falls to the Vice-Chair). If neither is suitable the Chief Executive will appoint a Chair. The Timber Trade Federation will be represented on the Panel by the Chief Executive or his appointed designate and will act in an advisory capacity with no voting rights. In the event of a vote, should the vote be tied, the Chairman shall have a second casting vote.
4.3 All Disciplinary Panel members are required to sign a confidentiality agreement and a conflict of interest declaration.
4.4 If any additional conflict arises, the Disciplinary Panel member must inform Timber Development UK of the change before undertaking membership of the Disciplinary Panel.
5. Costs
5.1 In the event the complaint requires the Disciplinary Panel to incur costs associated with the complaint then the Member against whom a sanction is imposed under Clause 3.2 or whose complaint is rejected shall pay those costs.