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SA8000 Social Accountability 8000
Aim Management Certification is one of the leading SA 8000 compliance and certification Certification in India with clients in India
The Social Accountability 8000 standard brings the kind of approach associated with the iso quality systems - such as iso 9001 - and applies it to social responsibility in the workplace. Human rights,child labour, health and safety, freedom of association, working hours and compensation. The standard is based on established human rights instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child.
SA 8000 (Social Accountability 8000) is the first international certification on social responsibility. Its main objective is to guarantee workers' rights, in such a way that everyone involved wins: companies, workers, trade unions, government.
SA 8000 Standard is composed of 9 requirements:
- Minimum age:
- Forced labour:
- Occupational health and safety:
- Discrimination:
- Disciplinary practices:
- Hours of work :
- Wages:
- Management systems :
- Freedom to organize and collective bargaining have to be guaranteed
Child labour, defined by the ILO as work carried out by children aged 15 years and younger (14 years in some exempted areas) is not permitted. Where practiced, child labour must be progressively eliminated in a constructive way so as not to make the child's economic situation worse.
Prohibited. Workers cannot be required to surrender identity papers, or pay "deposits" in order to gain employment.
Companies must meet basic standards
for a safe and healthy working environment.
Freedom of association and the right to organise.
Protects the rights of workers to form and join trade unions or other organised groups where unions
are prohibited by law.
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, caste, nationality, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation.
Prohibits corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion and verbal abuse of workers.
A regular working week is defined as that set out by local 1aw or 48 hours, whichever is shorter. Overtime is not to exceed 12 hours per week, even when the regular working week is less than 48 hours.
Must meet all minimum legal standards and provide sufficient income for basic needs.
Management systems shall guarantee that the requirements are effectively satisfied
- Companies seeking to independently verify their social record
- Companies seeking to independently verify their own social record and that of their contractors
- Contractors that produce goods for U.S.and European companies and wish to demonstrate to companies and consumers that they are treating workers fairly
- Development or multilateral organizations seeking to ensure that they procure from companies that are not exploitative
Implementation of SA 8000 Standard
- Certification:
- Corporate Involvement Program (CIP):
- SA8000 Explorer (CIP Level One): Evaluate SA8000 as an ethical sourcing tool via pilot audits
- SA8000 Signatory (CIP Level Two):
- Implement SA8000 over time in some or all of the supply chain by promoting and ultimately requiring SA8000 certification
- Communicate implementation progress via SAI-verified public reports.
Companies that operate production facilities can seek to have individual facilities certified to SA8000 through audits by one of the SAI-accredited certification auditing bodies. Since the SA8000 system became fully operational in 1998, there are already certified facilities in 36 countries and across 35 industries.
Companies that focus on selling goods or that combine production and selling can join the SA8000 Corporate Involvement Program. The CIP is a two-level program that helps companies evaluate SA8000, implement the standard, and report publicly on implementation progress.
The CIP was launched in late 1999 and has attracted entities representing more than $100 billion in annual revenue including Amana SA, Avon, Cutter & Buck, Dole, Eileen Fisher, Otto Versand, Tex Line, Toys "R" Us, UNOPS, and Vgele Mode. Program benefits include training courses for managers, suppliers and workers, technical assistance in implementing SA8000, access to a shared database of suppliers, and the right to use the SAI and SA8000 logos to communicate with stakeholders.
SA8000 certified facilities enjoy a competitive advantage and workers experience concrete benefits.
- Benefits for Workers, Trade Unions and NGOs
- Enhanced opportunities to organize trade unions and bargain collectively
- A tool to educate workers about core labour rights
- Another opportunity to work directly with business on labour rights issues
- A way to generate public awareness of companies committed to assuring humane working conditions.
- Benefits for manufacturers and suppliers
- Marketing advantage more demand and value for goods from socially.
- Responsible manufacturers/suppliers.
- Enhancement of companys productivity.
- Compliance to the laws of the land.
- Benefits for business
- Drives company values into action.
- Enhancing 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 products made ethically and companies committed to ethical sourcing
- Broad coverage of product categories and production geography.
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Certification Activity |
Results Activity |
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Initial Assessment through interview with the people Responsible of the main roles in the company, and sightseeing all the organization sites |
Report |
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Projecting the System to comply with relevant national and local regulations, assessing the company against the SA8000 standard and giving the customer the time table to do it |
Certification Quality Plan |
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Implementing the System on the SA8000 standard and all the documents that vary depending of the company's activity |
SA8000 Documentation |
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Internal assessment of compliance to SA8000 conducted by Aim Management Certification's Certification / experts to check if the changes to conditions, policies and management systems required by the standard are done in all the organization sites the audit relieves also that all what is declared in the relative documentation is true |
Identification of the non-compliances to the SA8000 and corrective actions when required |
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Assistance to choose the Certification Auditor that suites better the customer activity and management of all the arrangement needed |
Activation of the Certification |
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Assistance up to the final Auditing and the issue of the certificate |
Certificate SA8000 |
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Time required |
4 - 6 months |