Foundation of the code of conduct

Human Rights

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All internationally recognised human rights, as set out in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, must be respected.

Workers’ rights

2.1 Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining are Respected

a) Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing and to engage in collective bargaining.
b) Employers maintain an open attitude toward trade union activities and their organizational operations.
c) Worker representatives are not discriminated against and have the opportunity to perform their representative functions in the workplace.
d) Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted by law, employers facilitate and do not hinder the development of alternative means for independent and free association and bargaining.

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2.2 Employment is freely chosen

a) There is no forced, bonded, or involuntary prison labor.
b) Workers are not required to lodge “deposits” or hand over identity documents to their employer and are free to leave their employer after giving reasonable notice.

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2.3 Child Labour Must Not Be Used

a) No new recruitment of child labour shall occur. Child labour is any form of activity or work that is harmful to the intellectual, physical, social, or moral development of persons under 18 years of age and that undermines their education, prevents them from attending school, forces them to leave school prematurely, or requires them to work and study simultaneously.
b) The employer shall develop, participate in, and contribute to policies and programs that ensure the transition of any child found to be engaged in child labour, enabling him or her to participate in and remain in education until they are no longer a child.
c) However, a worker under 18 may be permitted to work if they meet the minimum age requirements for the type of work in question:
• For general work, the minimum age is 15 years.
• For non-hazardous work, the minimum age may temporarily be set at 14 years in countries where the school-leaving age is below 15 years.
d) Persons under 18 must not be employed at night or under hazardous conditions.

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2.4 No discrimination and no inhumane treatment is permitted

a) There shall be no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination, or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, trade union membership, or political affiliation.
b) Physical abuse or punishment, threats of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment, and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.

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2.5 Safe and hygienic working conditions

a) A safe and hygienic work environment shall be provided, taking into account industry knowledge and any specific hazards. Appropriate measures shall be implemented to prevent accidents and health risks arising from, associated with, or occurring during work, by minimizing the causes of work-related hazards as far as reasonably practicable.
b) Workers shall receive regular and documented health and safety training, with such training repeated for new or reassigned employees.
c) Access to clean toilets and drinking water, as well as, where applicable, sanitary facilities for food storage, shall be provided.
d) Accommodation, if provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of workers.
e) Responsibility for health and safety shall be assigned to a representative from senior management.

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2.6 Promotion of Living Wages

a) Wages and benefits paid for a normal working week shall meet at least national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. In all circumstances, wages should always be sufficient to meet basic needs and provide some discretionary income.
b) All workers shall receive written and understandable information about their employment conditions regarding wages before starting work and about the wage details for the relevant pay period each time they are paid.
c) Wage deductions as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted, nor shall deductions from wages not prescribed by national law be allowed without the explicit consent of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be documented.

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2.8 Regular employment is provided

a) To the greatest extent possible, work should be performed on the basis of a recognised employment relationship established under national law and practice.
b) Obligations towards workers under laws and other regulations concerning employment or social security arising from the regular employment relationship must not be avoided through the use of “labour-only contracting,” subcontracting, or home work, nor through apprenticeship schemes where there is no genuine intention to impart skills or provide regular employment. Nor should such obligations be avoided through excessive use of fixed-term employment contracts.

Environment

Business Ethics

Excerpt from the Code of Conduct

4.1 Corruption, anti-competitive behaviour, and taxation

a) No involvement in bribery, embezzlement, trading in influence, abuse of position, illicit enrichment, money laundering, handling of stolen goods, or obstruction of justice occurs.
b) No agreements are made that aim to distort competition or abuse a dominant position.
c) Tax arrangements are avoided if there is uncertainty about whether the arrangement complies with the law. The same applies to tax planning that exploits loopholes in tax regulations to artificially shift profits to countries with low or no taxation.
d) Workers receive regular and recorded training in business ethics, and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned employees.