Division Criterion 8 — Corporate Social Responsibility with regard to labour aspects

Requirements in this criterion shall apply to the final footwear assembly site.

Having regard to the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, the UN Global Compact (Pillar 2), the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the applicant shall obtain third-party verification supported by site audit(s) that the applicable principles included in the ILO's fundamental conventions and the supplementary provisions below have been respected at the final footwear assembly site for the product.

Fundamental conventions of the ILO:

1. (i)

   Child Labour:

   • Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No 138);

   • Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No 182).

2. (ii)

   Forced and Compulsory Labour:

   • Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No 29) and 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention;

   • Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No 105).

3. (iii)

   Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining:

   • Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No 87);

   • Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No 98).

4. (iv)

   Discrimination:

   • Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No 100);

   • Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No 111).

   Supplementary provisions:

5. (v)

   Working Hours:

   • ILO Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, 1919 (No 1).

6. (vi)

   Remuneration:

   • ILO Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No 131);

   • Living wage: The applicant shall ensure that wages paid for a normal working week shall always meet at least legal or industry minimum standards, are sufficient to meet the basic needs of personnel and provide some discretionary income. Implementation shall be audited with reference to the SA8000^f1 guidance on ‘Remuneration’.

7. (vii)

   Health & Safety:

   • ILO Safety in the use of chemicals at work Convention, 1981 (No 170);

   • ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1990 (No 155).

In locations where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining are restricted under law, the company shall recognise legitimate employee associations with whom it can enter into dialogue about workplace issues.

The audit process shall include consultation with external stakeholders in local areas around sites, including trade unions, community organisations, NGOs and labour experts. The applicant shall publish the aggregated results and key findings from the audit online in order to provide evidence of their supplier's performance to interested consumers.

Assessment and verification: the applicant shall provide a declaration of compliance together with copies of certificates and a supporting audit reports for each final product assembly plant for the model(s) to be ecolabelled.

The third-party site audit shall be carried out by private auditors qualified to assess the compliance of the footwear industry supply chain with social standards or codes of conduct or, in countries where the ILO Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No 81) has been ratified and ILO supervision indicates that the national labour inspection system is effective^f2 and where the scope of the inspection systems covers the areas listed above, by labour inspector(s) appointed by a national authority.

Certificate(s), not dated more than 12 months prior to the application, from schemes or processes that audit compliance with the applicable principles of the listed fundamental ILO conventions, together with the supplementary provisions on working hours, remuneration and health and safety, shall be accepted.