SA8000, a vendor selection tool
01/02/2010
Last summer PerfettivanMelle was awarded the SA8000:2008 Global Social Accountability Standard certificate.
Last summer PerfettivanMelle was awarded the SA8000:2008 Global Social Accountability Standard certificate. The certificate applies to the PefettivanMelle organisation but more importantly involves its suppliers in a predominantly international supply chain.
‘Our future strategy requires our suppliers to meet the requirements of SA 8000’ says Kees de Waard, CEO Perfetti VanMelle Benelux, a global confectionery manufacturer
Discussion
‘We challenge our suppliers on their social and ethical policies and monitor their progress. At this stage we try to support them in this progress’, says Guurte Kok, Perfetti’s QA manager.
Social accountability also introduces dilemma’s for instance when child labour is involved. Although all companies implementing SA 8000 reject child labour it also confronts workers and families with loss of income as many children work to support family income and allow for the most minimum standard of living says Onno Nillesen, Senior Business Development Specialist at LRQA. ‘When implementing SA8000 in their supply chains companies have a responsibility towards such effects’.
Legislation
SA8000 requires a minimum labour age of 15 years and introduces the right to education. Companies implementing the standard have a responsibility for making this requirement work in their supply chain, says Onno Nillesen.
CEO Kees de Waard says ‘we have to be careful not to deploy too much Western moralism. ‘Social and cultural understanding and a good dialogue with our suppliers are much more effective in improving labour and social conditions’.
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