conventions
and the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention
on Rights of the Child. The requirements of SA8000 as follows:
- Child Labor:
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 Labor:
No forced labor, including prison or debt bondage labor; 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;
- 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.
How Companies Can Implement SA8000
Labor
Law was promulgated by the National Assembly of Social Republic of
Vietnam and to be in force in 1995. Labor Law was amended in 2002 and
there was in effect from 2003 up to now.
Contents, requirements of SA8000 are fairly compatible with principles and conditions of Labor Law.
If companies comply with the Labor Law, the implementation of SA8000 will be facilitated.
The
implement of SA8000 is improved the procedural management such as
social accountability policies, individual position accountability of
companies, management documents, record control requirements,
subcontractors and suppliers control, form conduction and management
review about system, system control required companies to implement,
operate and improve continually.
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. Since the SA8000 system became fully operational
in 1998, there are certified facilities in 30 countries on five
continents and across 22 industries.
Benefits of SA8000
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.
- Another opportunity to work directly with business on labor rights issues.
- Public awareness of companies committed to assuring humane working conditions
Benefits for Business:
- Enhancing company and brand reputation and putting company's values into action
- Improving employee recruitment, retention and performance.
- Better supply chain management and performance.
Benefits for Consumers and Investors:
- Clear and credible assurance for ethical purchasing decisions.
- Identification of products made ethically and companies committed to ethical sourcing.
- Broad coverage of product categories and production geography.