Code of Conduct Premium Inc.
Premium Inc. and its entities (herein after referred to as Premium Inc.) require all their Vendors and Suppliers to operate their business in accordance with the standards as described below. By signing official Production Orders from Premium Inc., supplier signs for this Code of Conduct.
• General Principle – Premium Inc. Vendors and Suppliers shall operate in full compliance with all national and local laws, rules and regulations applicable to their business operations.
• Employment Standards – With regard to the employment of any and all employees of Premium Inc. Vendors and Suppliers shall comply with the following Standards:
1. Forced Labor: There shall be no use of forced, including bonded or prison, labor (ILO Conventions 29 and 105).
2. Discrimination: In recruitment, wage policy, admittance to training programs, employee promotion policy, policies on employment termination, retirement, and any other aspect of employment, relationships shall be based on the principle of equal opportunities, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, political affiliation, union membership, nationality, social origin, deficiencies, or handicaps. (ILO Conventions 100 and 111)
3. No exploitation of child labor: There shall be no use of child labor. The age for admission to employment shall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling and, in any case, not less than 15 years, or 14 years in exceptional cases as specified in article 2.4 of the Minimum Age Convention (ILO Convention 138). There shall be no forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labor. […] Children [in the age range 15-18] shall not perform work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm their health, safety or morals.” (ILO Convention 182)
4. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining: The right of all workers to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively shall be recognized (ILO Conventions 87 and 98). The Company shall, in those situations in which the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining are restricted under law, facilitate parallel means of independent and free association and bargaining for all workers. Workers’ representatives shall not be the subject of discrimination and shall have access to all workplaces necessary to carry out their representation functions (ILO Convention 135 and Recommendation 143).
5. Payment of a living wage: Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week shall meet at least legal or industry minimum standards and always be sufficient to meet basic needs of workers and their families and to provide some discretionary income (ILO Conventions 26 and 131). Deductions from wages for disciplinary measures shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted. Deductions shall never constitute an amount that will lead the employee to receive less than the minimum wage. Employees shall be adequately and clearly informed about the specifications of their wages including wage rates and pay periods.
6. Work Hours: Hours of work shall comply with applicable laws and industry standards. In any event, workers shall not on a regular basis be required to work in excess of 48 hours per week and shall be provided with at least one day off for every 7-day period. Overtime shall be voluntary, shall not exceed 12 hours per week, shall not be demanded on a regular basis and shall always be compensated at a premium rate (ILO Convention 1).
7. Health and Safety: A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, and best occupational health and safety practice shall be promoted, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Appropriate attention shall be paid to occupational hazards specific to this branch of the industry and ensure that a safe and hygienic work environment is provided for. Effective regulations shall be implemented to prevent accidents and minimize health risks as much as possible (following ILO Convention 155). Physical abuse, threats of physical abuse, unusual punishments or discipline, sexual and other harassment, and intimidation by the employer are strictly prohibited.
8. Legally binding employment relationship: Working relationships shall be legally binding, and all obligations to employees under labor or social security laws and regulations shall be respected.
How Premium Inc. checks that working conditions are good
Premium Inc. can check the working conditions in this factory through audit reports. Premium Inc. expects that the audit will help to offer good working conditions to the workers. If you would like more information concerning this you can contact Premium Inc. directly.
What can you do if working conditions are not good?
More and more factories have procedures for communication between employer and employees on issues and problems. We advise you trying to resolve a problem with your employer. However, if there are problems in the factory that you have not been able to solve by talking to your supervisors, the management at the factory, or with the help of local authorities or organizations, you can contact Premium Inc.´s CSR manager. This person will try to help you solve problems relating to the rules for good working conditions described above.
E-mail: info@premiuminc.nl
Environment
Premium Inc. Vendors and Suppliers shall comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and shall work towards further improving environmental conservation. Furthermore, Vendors and Suppliers shall operate the business with consideration for environment and safety by saving resources and energy, reducing emissions, by implementing environmentally-aware purchasing, and by preventing pollution.
Documentation and Inspection
Premium Inc. Vendors and Suppliers shall maintain all documents necessary to demonstrate compliance with this Policy and any applicable laws, and submit these documents to Premium Inc. upon Premium Inc.’s request. Furthermore, Premium Inc. shall have the right to conduct inspections or shall have the right to have Premium Inc.’s designated independent monitor conduct such inspections to determine if Vendors and Suppliers comply with Premium Inc. Standards and the applicable laws with or without prior notice by Premium Inc. Vendors and Suppliers shall accept such inspections.