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Introduction
SA 8000 is the end result of the work of a commission formed by different parties,
and its drafting was co-ordinated by the CEPAA (Council on Economic Priorities Accreditation
Agency), a non-governmental organisation established in 1997 for this purpose, today
known as SAI (Social
Accountability International) .
An important characteristic of SA 8000 is that it is not based simply on verifying
compliance, on one occasion, with the requirements of the standard but is related
to a continuously evolving system, founded on the element of prevention.
Released in October 1997, the Social Accountability 8000 (or SA 8000) standard is
the first global ethical.
SA 8000 has been developed based on the conventions of the International Labour
Organisation, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of a Child. It is applicable to all companies regardless
of scale, size, industry and location.
Its objective is to ensure ethical sourcing and production of goods and services.
Need For SA 8000
Consumers and other stakeholders have become increasingly concerned about whether
products have been manufactured under conditions of violation of human rights, child
labor and discrimination – as often reported by the media.
- The existing management of many companies cannot adequately cope
with the myriad demands imposed by labour laws, codes of conduct of individual companies,
as well as their stakeholders.
- A greater challenge is to effectively monitor whether the manufacturers
and suppliers have implemented
- The concept and value of employing an independent, third party to
monitor social responsibility is becoming increasingly important.
SA 8000 Elements (In Brief)
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 summary of official standard is as follows:
1. Child Labor: No worker under the age if 15 minimum lowered to
14 for countries operating under the ILS convention 138 developing-country exception;
remediation of any child found to be working
2. Forced Labor: No forced labor, including prison or debt bondage
labor; no lodging of deposits or identity papers be employers or outside recruiters.
3. Health and Safety: Provide a sage 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.
4. 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.
5. Discrimination: No discrimination on race, caste, origin, religion,
disability, gender, sexual, orientation, union or political affiliation, or age;
no sexual harassment.
6. Discipline: No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion
or verbal abuse.
7. 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.
8. Compensation: Wages paid for a standard work week must meet
the legal and industry standards of respective countries and be sufficient to meet
the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary deductions.
9. Management Systems: Facilitates seeking to gain and maintain
certification must go beyond simple compliance to integrate the standard into their
management systems and practices.
QMS Can Help Companies in Getting SA8000 through CISE Italy
Certification to SA8000: Companies that operate production facilities
can seek to have individual facilities certified to SA8000 through audits by one
of the accredited certification bodies like QMS Certification Services Pvt. Ltd.(representing SAAS Accredited Certification Body, CISE Italy)
Since the SA8000 system became fully operational in 1998, there are certified facilities
in 30 countries on five continents.
Benefits of SA 8000
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.
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