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The SA-8000 standard is an auditable standard based on international work place norms of International Labor Organisation (ILO) conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Right & the UN Convention on the Right of the Child. A summary of the standard elements of SA 8000 is given below:
1.0 Child Labour: This Standard prescribes that a company shall:
- Not engage in or support the use of child labour.
- Undertake remediation programmes for the children working.
- Not employ the young workers during school hours and that combined hours of daily transportation (to & from work and school), school & work time does not exceed 10 hours a day.
- Not expose the children or young workers to situations in or outside of the workplace that are hazardous, unsafe or unhealthy.
2.0 Forced Labour: This standard prohibits:
- Engagement of forced & compulsory labour.
- Holding of the personal deposits by the employer, as guarantee.
- Holding up of wages as security.
- Restraining the employees after the shift.
3.0 Health & Safety: SA-8000 standard demands:
- Safe& healthy work environment.
- To take adequate measures for prevention of accidents & injury to health.
- Clean bathroom & access to potable water.
- Appointment of management representative responsible for health & safety of all personnel and accountable for the implementation of the health & safety arrangements of these standards.
4.0 Freedom of Association & Right to Collective Bargaining: SA-8000 requires that the concerned company requires to respect:
- Workers right to form & join trade unions.
- Workers right to bargain collectively.
- Where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel means of association & bargaining.
5.0 Discrimination: SA-8000 prohibits discrimination on the basis of:
- Race
- Caste or Nationality
- Gender
- Political affiliation Union member ship
Religion 6.0 Disciplinary Practices: SA 8000 Standards prohibits:
- Corporal punishment
- Mental or physical coercion
Verbal abuse of workers 7.0 Working Hours: SA-8000 prescribe that a company shall comply to:
- Maximum 48 hours per week.
- One day off for every 7 days period.
- Overtime work shall be voluntary & does not exceed 12 hours per week.
- Overtime work is always remunerated at a premium rate.
8.0 Compensation: SA-8000 standard stipulates that the company shall ensure:
- That the wages are paid as per industry or legal minimum standards.
- That the wages are sufficient to meet the basic needs.
- That the wages are paid regularly & in a transparent manner.
- That the wages are not deducted for disciplinary purposes.
9.0 Management Systems: This standard warrants that the top management shall:
- Define policy for Social Accountability.
- Periodically review the policy.
- Appoint a senior management representative to monitor the compliance of the standards.
- That the requirements of the standards are understood & implemented at levels.
How to join SA-8000Programme: Depending on the type of activities performed, organisations have two option s for SA-8000 implementation: 1) Participation in the Corporate involvement programme (CIP) 2) Certification to SA-8000.
SA-8000 Corporate Involvement Programme C.I.P): Companies that focus on selling goods or combine production & selling can join the SA 8000 Corporate Involvement Programme. The CIP is a two level programme that helps companies evaluate SA 8000, implement the SA 8000 standard, and report publicly on implementation progress. There are two levels of CIP:
- SA 8000 Explorer (CIP Level One) Evaluate SA 8000 as an ethical sourcing tool via pilot audits.
- SA 8000 Signatory (CIP Level two) Implement SA 8000 as a step-wise approach in some or all of the supply chain through certification & communicate implementation progress to stake holders via SAI - verified public reporting.
Certification to SA 8000: Certification is the process by which facilities submit to an independent audit against the SA 8000 Standard. If a facility meets the standard, it will earn a certificate attesting to its social accountability policies, management and operations. Companies that operate production facilities can seek to have individual facilities certified to SA 8000 through audits by one of the accredited certifying bodies.
Implementation Methodology
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Participants