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Social Compliance Service

Social Compliance Services

SA 8000 - Social Accountability

SA 8000 Elements

SA8000 is based on international workplace norms in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and the UN‘s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on Rights of the Child. The official standard is available for download in various languages by clicking here, but a summary follows:

Child Labour:

No workers under the age of 15; minimum lowered to 14 for countries operating under the ILO Convention 138 developing-country exception; remediation of any child found to be working.

Forced Labour:

No forced labour, including prison or debt bondage labour; no lodging of deposits or identity papers by employers or outside recruiters.

Health and Safety:

Provide a safe and healthy work environment; take steps to prevent injuries; regular health and safety worker training; system to detect threats to health and safety; access to bathrooms and potable water.

Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining:

Respect the right to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel means of association and bargaining.

Discrimination:

No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; no sexual harassment.

Discipline:

No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse.

Working Hours:

Comply with the applicable law but, in any event, no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven day period; voluntary overtime paid at a premium rate and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis; overtime may be mandatory if part of a collective bargaining agreement.

Compensation:

Wages paid for a standard work week must meet the legal and industry standards and be sufficient to meet the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary deductions.

Management Systems:

Facilities seeking to gain and maintain certification must go beyond simple compliance to integrate the standard into their management systems and practices.

Benefits if SA 8000

Along with humane workplaces, the implementation of SA8000 offers more benefits to workers, companies and others:

Benefits for Workers, Trade Unions and NGOs:

  • Enhanced opportunities to organize trade unions and bargain collectively.
  • A tool to educate workers about core labor rights.
  • An opportunity to work directly with business on labor rights issues.
  • A way to generate public awareness of companies committed to assuring humane working conditions.

Benefits for Business:

  • Drives company values into action.
  • Enhances company and brand reputation.
  • Improves employee recruitment, retention and productivity.
  • Supports better supply chain management and performance.

Benefits for Consumers and Investors:

  • Clear and credible assurance for ethical purchasing decisions.
  • Identification of ethically made products and companies committed to ethical sourcing.
  • Broad coverage of product categories and production geography.
BSCI - Business Social Compliance Initiative

Benefits of the BSCI

The benefits of the BSCI as a broad and comprehensive monitoring system for social standards in the supply chain are numerous.

Synergy effects, reduction of multiple auditing thereby reducing costs are one characteristic.

Factories/companies which are being audited can improve their competitiveness through improved social standards as better working conditions and an improved management system leads to better product quality, higher productivity, fewer work accidents, less sick leave producing more highly motivated workers and lower staff turnover.

How to become a BSCI member?

Companies which join the BSCI as a regular member are provided with all management instruments of the BSCI i.e. Management Manual, Audit Questionnaire, Audit Report forms, Audit Guidelines (being a tool for the auditing companies), etc.

They would get access to the supplier database. Moreover, members will get access to the members‘ area in the BSCI homepage and will be invited to the BSCI Members Assembly, working groups and also other meetings of the initiative.

Which auditors conduct the audits?

Presently, only independent auditing companies that have been accredited by Social Accountability International (SAI) and selected by the BSCI will be entrusted with carrying out BSCI social audits.

This assures the best possible audit quality while avoiding costly and bureaucratic accreditation procedures. BSCI is not a certification scheme but a monitoring system using SA8000 as best practice.

How to become a BSCI member?

Audit Preparation

Each facility will be requested to submit to us the records of the BSCI self-assessment.

Based on those records the auditors can get a basic impression of the state of the factory. The facility to be audited will receive a list of documents which will be needed during the audit.

The documents need to be available either in local language or English.

The facility must also sign a ―Declaration of Consent‖, granting the auditing company the right to take photos of the facility, perform confidential worker interviews, record the findings in a database, send the audit report to the BSCI member etc.

Audit On site

An audit will be performed at the site of the facility with the aim to verify the facility‘s compliance with the requirements of the BSCI Code of Conduct (Minimum requirements listed in part B) as well as to identify any gaps to the requirements of SA 8000 (part C).

The audit starts with an opening meeting during which the aim and the processing of the audit will be explained. After that the auditors will inspect the facility including manufacturing areas, dormitory and canteen (if available), will interview management personnel and workers, and will check records. The audit will be finished with a closing meeting.

Reporting and Registration in the BSCI System

After the audit, the audited facility will receive a written report about the audit results. The report will be issued in English and will contain pictures of the facility. The audit results will be entered into the BSCI database to ensure mutual recognition of the audit results by other BSCI members.

Re-audit

In case non-conformities have been established during the audit, the audited facility has to initiate corrective actions. The implementation and effectiveness of those actions will be verified during a re-audit on site. The results of this re-audit will also be entered into the BSCI database.

Repeat audit after 3 years

The registration in the BSCI system is valid for a duration of 3 years. To renew the registration, a new audit as described from item 2 onwards is necessary.

Optional upgrade to SA 8000

BSCI encourages suppliers to go beyond the minimum requirements of the BSCI Code of Conduct and to implement and get certified a management system according to the international social standard SA 8000. A valid certification to SA 8000 covers all requirements of the BSCI Code of Conduct and is recognised by BSCI in order to qualify a supplier in the BSCI system without separate BSCI audits. An SA 8000 certificate is valid for a period of 3 years. During that time the continued compliance with the requirements of the standard is monitored by means of semi-annual surveillance audits.

WRAP - Worldwide Responsible Accreditation Production

Why WRAP?

Apparel producers are accountable for their global production practices to consumers, retailers, governments, and others. Several organizations are dedicated to setting manufacturing standards, particularly regarding human rights. WRAP is unique among apparently similar organizations because it combines all of the following important attributes.

Market-driven, High Standards

Consumers and retailers ultimately drive manufacturing, but from the factories‘ immediate perspective, the market for their products consists of the companies that source apparel and footwear. Increasingly, factories will be obliged to heed requests of companies requiring compliance with WRAP principles and procedures. The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), whose members produce 85% of sewn products sold at wholesale in the United States, gave birth to the idea of WRAP in 1998 and promotes it to this day. Other major international business and industry associations have endorsed not only WRAP‘s principles but also its Apparel Certification Program, which is the world‘s largest independent program.

Independent from the Industry

In its governance and finances, WRAP is independent of the industrial sectors for which it offers factory certification programs. Since its incorporation in 2000, its charter mandates that the majority of its Board members be from non-industry professions. Representatives from varied industries bring a needed perspective to the Board since the purpose of WRAP is to make progress in the workplaces of their industries. However, the Board members drawn from academia, civil society, and other arenas can and do occasionally outvote them. WRAP is not a membership association to which companies or licensers, such as universities, pay (often substantial) dues. Factories pay WRAP an application fee. Monitors pay WRAP an annual registration fee for each country in which they seek WRAP accreditation. Each factory then negotiates an inspection fee with the accredited monitor of its choice—WRAP does not set these fees nor benefit from them.

Factory-based

WRAP certifies individual factories, many of which are small or medium businesses contracted (or subcontracted) by brand managers or retailers. The certification is not for the brand and not for the company that owns it. Factory certification, on the other hand, places responsibility for improving workplace conditions squarely on the shoulders of those who own and operate a specific facility.

Eliminates Duplication

A side benefit of factory-based certification is that it eliminates costly and time-consuming duplication of monitoring efforts. WRAP‘s raison d‘être is to provide a standard against which factories are measured regarding their treatment of workers, the natural environment, and other concerns. Before WRAP was established, a factory manager needed to invest several workdays and thousands of dollars to comply with audits (usually limited to human rights) demanded by public interest groups. Some factories undergo seven or eight audits a year. A WRAP certification now replaces many of these audits as more and more major brand managers and retailers are accepting it as they would their own. (WRAP‘s goal is to make its program the one audit that all parties feel confident in adopting.) This results in savings of time and money for the factory, lower prices for the consumer, more business for the factories, and increased and better job conditions for the workers. On the other hand, WRAP places great demands on the manufacturers. As mentioned above, they need to comply not only with general principles, but also with detailed procedures and record keeping.

WRAP has not only fostered corporate social responsibility, but has contributed to greater productivity, lower turnover, improved communications between management and employees, safer and more secure working conditions, and greatly improved worker morale.

WRAP 12 Principles

Compliance with Laws and Workplace Regulations

Facilities will comply with laws and regulations in all locations where they conduct business.

Prohibition of Forced Labor

Facilities will not use involuntary or forced labor.

Prohibition of Child Labor

Facilities will not hire any employee under the age of 14 or under the minimum age established by law for employment, whichever is greater, or any employee whose employment would interfere with compulsory schooling.

Prohibition of Harassment or Abuse

Facilities will provide a work environment free of supervisory or co-worker harassment or abuse, and free of corporal punishment in any form.

Compensation and Benefits

Facilities will pay at least the minimum total compensation required by local law, including all mandated wages, allowances & benefits.

Hours of Work

Hours worked each day, and days worked each week, shall not exceed the limitations of the country‘s law. Facilities will provide at least one day off in every seven-day period, except as required to meet urgent business needs.

Prohibition of Discrimination

Facilities will employ, pay, promote, and terminate workers on the basis of their ability to do the job, rather than on the basis of personal characteristics or beliefs.

Health and Safety

Facilities will provide a safe and healthy work environment. Where residential housing is provided for workers, facilities will provide safe and healthy housing.

Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Facilities will recognize and respect the right of employees to exercise their lawful rights of free association and collective bargaining.

Environment

Facilities will comply with environmental rules, regulations and standards applicable to their operations, and will observe environmentally conscious practices in all locations where they operate.

Customs Compliance

Facilities will comply with applicable customs laws, and in particular, will establish and maintain programs to comply with customs laws regarding illegal transshipment of finished products.

Security

Facilities will maintain facility security procedures to guard against the introduction of non-manifested cargo into outbound shipments (i.e. drugs, explosives biohazards and /or other contraband).

SEDEX - Supplier Ethical Data Exchange program

Supplier Ethical Data Exchange program is a web-based system designed to help businesses improve ethical performance of their supply chain. This platform stores data on responsible business practices and allows the sharing of ethical performance information with multiple Brands & Customers.

SEDEX Requirements:

For Sedex requirements SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) by the certifying body is to be done.

The basic Sedex requirements are as below:

  • Labour Standards
  • Health and safety
  • Environment
  • Business practices.

Benefits of SEDEX Standard

Benefits of SEDEX Standard

  • Drive improvements in ethical and responsible business practices
  • Increase efficiency
  • Save time and resources
  • Improve supplier engagement
  • Boost productivity
  • Reduce reputational risk
  • Gain competitive advantage
  • Help drive collaboration and reduce duplication

Process of Sedex Certification

Sedex is not a standard setting body, code of conduct or certification. Instead the role of SEDEX standard is to enable you to effectively share and manage supply chain information, with the aim of driving continuous improvement. Sedex has two aims one is to ease the burden on suppliers facing multiple audits, questionnaires and certifications and the other is to drive improvements in the ethical performance of global supply chains. The Sedex certificate is given by recognized certifying body and they carry out site audit for Sedex certification. After certification they carry out annual certification audit.

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