© Thistle Seafoods Ltd
Registered Office:
The Harbour
Boddam
Peterhead
Scotland
Registered in Scotland
No.223362
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Ethical and Social Accountability Policy
Statement
This policy sets out our commitments to improving working conditions
in our supply chains.
“Thistle Seafoods Limited has a global network
for the sourcing of frozen seafood to supply its food service
and manufacturing
customers. In the course of the above activities Thistle Seafoods
recognises its responsibility as a leading international food
group to assist
its overseas suppliers in meeting their legal obligations with
respect to their own country and will monitor performance in
this respect.
Thistle Seafoods is committed to the principle of
continuous improvement in employment practice and requires its
suppliers
to meet the standards
set out in the U.K. based ETI Base Code with respect to employment
contracts, working conditions and general welfare.
Through its
activities overseas, Thistle Seafoods will recognise the local
socio-economic and physical environment and, in line
with its company environment policy will therefore seek to
minimise the impact of its operations on the environment.” Ethical
Trading Initiative Base Code
We support the core principles put
together by the U.K. Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) that brings
together companies, NGOs and Trade Unions, to ensure good
working conditions wherever people are engaged in the supply of
goods or services. The ETI is supported and part-funded by the
U.K. government.
Member companies participate in pilot projects
in partnership with NGOs and unions and together we develop best
practice in tackling
supply chain issues. ETI pilots to date have worked on wine production
in South Africa, clothing manufacture in China, horticulture in
Zimbabwe and bananas in Costa Rica.
Member NGOs include:
Action Aid, Anti-Slavery International, CAFOD, Central American
Women’s Network, Christian Aid, Council
on Economic Priorities (Europe), Fairtrade Foundation, Labour and
Society International, New Economics Foundation, Oxfam, Philippine
Resource Centre, Quaker Peace & Service, Save the Children
Fund, Tradecraft Exchange, TWIN, War on Want, Women Working Worldwide,
World Development Movement.
Member Trade Unions include: The International
Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Textile,
Garment and Leather
Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF), The Trade Unions Congress (TUC),
International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering,
Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Association (IUF).
The ETI has
developed a code of labour practice – the ‘Base
Code’ – reflecting the most relevant international
standards with respect to labour practices. All member companies
must be committed to implementing the ETI Base Code and working
with their suppliers to identify problem areas and find practical
and effective ways of making improvements.
The ‘Base Code’
1. Employment is freely chosen
› There is no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour
› Workers
are not required to lodge “deposits” or their
identity papers with their employer and are free to leave their
employer after reasonable notice.
2. Freedom of association and
the right to collective bargaining
› Workers,
without distinction, have the right to join or form trade
unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively.
› The
employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade
unions and their organisational activities.
› Workers
representatives are not discriminated against and have access to
carry out their representative functions in the workplace.
› Where
the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is
restricted under law, the employer facilitates, and does not
hinder, the development of parallel means for independent and free
association and bargaining.
3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic
› A
safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing
in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific
hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and
injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring
in the course of the work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably
practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment.
› Workers
shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training,
and such training shall be prepared for new or reassigned workers.
› Access
to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate,
sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided.
› Accommodation,
where provided, shall be clean, safe and meet the basic needs of
the workers.
› The
company observing the code shall assign responsibility for health
and safety to a senior management representative.
4. Child Labour
› There
shall be no recruitment of child labour.
› Companies
shall develop or participate in and contribute to policies and
programmes which provide for the transition of any child found
to be performing child labour to enable him or her to attend and
remain in quality education until no longer a child; “child” and “child
labour” being defined below.
› Children
and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night or in
hazardous conditions.
Definitions:
› Child:
A child is any person less than 15 years of age unless local minimum
age law stipulates a higher age for work or mandatory schooling,
in which case the higher age shall apply. If, however local minimum
age law is set at 14 years of age in accordance with developing
country exceptions under ILO Convention No 138, the lower will
apply.
› Young
person: Any worker over the age of a child as defined above or
under the age of 18.
› Child
labour: any work by a child or young person younger than the age(s)
specified in the above definitions, which does not comply
with the provisions of the relevant ILO standards, and any work
that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s
or young person’s health or physical, mental, spiritual,
moral or social development.
5. Living wages are paid
› Wages
and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum,
national legal standards or industry benchmark standards,
whichever is higher. In any event wages should always be enough
to meet the basic needs and to provide some discretionary income.
› All
workers shall be provided with written and understandable information
about their employment conditions in respect to wages before
they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages
for the
pay period concerned each time that they are paid.
› Deductions
from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor
shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national
law be permitted without the expressed permission of the worker
concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded.
6. Working
hours are not excessive
› Working
hours comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards,
whichever affords greater protection.
› 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 on average. 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.
7. No discrimination is practised
› There
is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training,
promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste,
national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital
status, sexual
orientation, union membership or political affiliation.
8.
Regular employment is provided
› To
every extent possible, work performed must be on the basis
of a recognised employment relationship established through
national
law and practice.
› Obligations
to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations
arising from the regular employment relationship shall
not be avoided through the use of labour-only contracting,
sub-contracting, or home working arrangements, or through
apprenticeship schemes
where there is no real intent to impart skills or provide
regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be avoided
through
the excessive use of fixed-term contracts of employment.
9.
No harsh
or inhumane treatment
› Physical
abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual
or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of
intimidation shall be prohibited.
To view our policies, please follow the links
below:
›
Health and Safety... more›
›
Environmental Statement... more›
›
Ethical and Social Accountability
›
Quality... more›
›
Sustainable Fisheries...
more›
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