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Training Courses
-Getting Started in Your Company
-Building Your Internal Social Performance Team
Developing & Implementing Effective Social Performance Management Systems
New York, NY
Date TBD
- Utrecht, the Netherlands
January 28-29, 2013
- Brazil
Date TBD
The Hague, The Netherlands
February 4-8
San Jose, Costa Rica
February 4-8
Abu Dhabi, UAE
February 10-14
Buenos Aires, Argentina
February 18-22
Shenzhen, China
February 25- March 1
SA8000 Advanced Auditor Training
Cairo, Egypt
February 4-6
New Delhi, India
February 27-March.1
Istanbul, Turkey
March 11-13
Shenzhen, China
March 20-22
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Social Accountability International (SAI) is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established to advance the human rights of workers by promoting decent work conditions, labor rights, and corporate social responsibility through voluntary standards and capacity building.
SAI is headquartered in the United States with field representation in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Philippines, Switzerland, and UAE.
SAI- Human Rights at Work
For newsletter inquiries contact: SAI Communications Manager Joleen Ong, jong@sa-intl.org |
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 SAI Releases Annual Report
The Annual Report highlights SAI's efforts in 2011 to advance and implement 'human rights at work'
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SAI's 2011 Annual Report was published electronically, and is hosted on SAI's website. Read it at www.sa-intl.org/ar2011 |
SAI is pleased to announce the publication of its Annual Report, highlighting our efforts to advance and implement 'human rights at work' in 2011. SAI leveraged its expertise as a social standards setter to support the development of new tools and standards for various issue areas, including the IFC Handbook, UN Women Gender Equity Seal, UN Guiding Principles Handbook and the Magen Tzedek Standard. This report captures the growth of the organization through the implementation of its global capacity building and training programs across the globe in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, India, Nicaragua and more. The four-year Project Cultivar came to a close. This report highlights the impact of the project in the agricultural sector, and details the sustained momentum of the project's local partners in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. In India, the RAGS Program scaled up its efforts to organize training workshops on how to reduce gender discrimination in the ready-made garment sector. In China, SAI's support to Tchibo's GmbH's 'WE Project' leveraged dialogue with workers as an educational tool to identify root causes and solutions to systemic issues in the workplace. The SA8000 Standard demonstrated a steady increase in uptake:
- SA8000 was utilized in various contexts, including the Dutch Sustainable Public Procurement initiative, a Harvard case study on consumer demand for labeled products, and investigation of Sumangali Schemes in India
- In 2011, over 1.6 million workers were employed in certified facilities in 62 countries and 65 industries.
Major world events, such as the centennial of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York and the Arab Spring in the Middle East were dramatic reminders of the crucial need to drive improvement in working conditions in countries such as Bangladesh and Egypt. SAI's fire safety training in Bangladesh drew in over 100 participants from garment factories. The beneficial impact of an Egyptian company's commitment to its workers was demonstrated by its employees sticking by the company during the Arab Spring's nationwide protests.
SAI's Corporate Programs enhanced its services through the Social Fingerprint� program, and established its ' Statement of Shared Mission' to express member commitment to our shared values. SAI's Corporate Program members were enrolled in the Social Fingerprint � program. The report features a benchmark analysis from their assessments. Over 1,000 individuals completed SAI's global training courses, such as the SA8000 auditor training courses and professional development courses, to learn how to carry out sustainable and ethical supply chain management practices.
The 2011 report was published electronically, and is hosted on SAI's website - www.sa-intl.org/ar2011. For more information about the report, please contact SAI Communications Manager, Joleen Ong - JOng@sa-intl.org.
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Urgent Notice: SA8000 & BSCI Auditing for Fire Safety
Mandatory webinar for SA8000 & BSCI auditors and trainees to enhance competence in health & safety
 On February 6, 2013, SAI will release the webinar - "Auditing for Fire Safety in the SA8000 and BSCI Systems." This webinar will be a compulsory requirement for all existing SA8000 and BSCI auditors, as well as trainees in the SA8000 auditor training courses, in order for your credentials to be considered valid, and/or to receive a certificate of course completion. All SA8000 and BSCI auditors will be given until May 1, 2013 to complete this webinar, after which their credentials as a SA8000 auditor will be deemed invalid until this webinar has been completed in full. To ensure that all SA8000 and BSCI auditors take the course promptly and to eliminate any financial obstacles, access to this webinar will be free of cost up until April 30, 2013. As of May 1, 2013, you will be required to pay a modest fee to access this webinar, to help cover the costs of long-term webinar hosting. We strongly encourage all auditors to take the course as soon as possible in order to avoid having your credentials lapse and paying a fee. The webinar was developed by SAI's Director of Field Services Doug DeRuisseau and SAI Lead Trainer and Fire Safety Expert Dundar Sahin to enhance the skills and knowledge of SA8000 and BSCI auditors and to provide guidance on how to audit against the occupational health and safety requirement of the SA8000 Standard and BSCI Code. The webinar will cover the following material: - Fire prevention as part of SA8000 and BSCI health and safety requirements
- Fire evacuation planning as part of SA8000 and BSCI requirements
- Management systems required for fire prevention and evacuation to meet SA8000 and BSCI performance criteria
- Identifying high-risk situations
SAI has prepared a set of FAQs about this new requirement, please view them at www.sa-intl.org/SA8000firesafety. The webinar will be available through the same web link on February 6, 2013.
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Call for Suppliers: Brazil Worker Engagement Program
SAI invites factories in the S�o Paulo region to join the Worker Engagement Program to help enhance health and safety systems
Over the past decade, it has become clear that to improve workplaces, management systems and effective ways to engage teams in tackling specific problems are needed.
Established October 2012, SAI's Worker Engagement Program aims to to improve health and safety in workplaces of companies in the S�o Paulo region. This program is designed to help supplier factories enhance its health and safety systems to better meet international labor standards. The program will work with groups of companies to set 100-day goals towards improving a specific health and safety issue. It will utilize the award-winning Rapid Results Institute methodology for change management to set and achieve goals through team building. It will also leverage cutting-edge mobile technology to help support internal communications during the process. Delivered in partnership with the Rapid Results Institute, the program will: - Address root causes of health and safety issues
- Expand on existing health and safety committees to form worker-manager Social Performance Teams
- Make measurable improvements in one specific health and safety issue in a 100-day Rapid Results project - a methodology that can be used for further achievements in other areas
Thanks to generous support from the Walt Disney Company, SAI and its partner, the Rapid Results Institute, will offer this training and cutting-edge technology at no cost. Additional program services will come from Labor Link and The Cahn Group, both of which have deep expertise in working with manufacturers around the world.
Applicants will be selected from a range of industries, sizes and health and safety performance levels. Commitment of senior management will be factored into the final selection.
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RAGS Project Exceeds Targets to Combat Gender Discrimination
The Project's workshops in India offer a timely focus on gender discrimination to foster change
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Photos (from left): 1) Participants in Bangalore deliberate during a group activity; 2) Snapshot of a banner that was made by women being mentored by the organization Kaurageous; 3) Participants in Tirupur post their thoughts on gender discrimination. [Photo credit: Rishi Sher Singh] For more photos, visit on.fb.me/RYBoBX.
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SAI's RAGS Project continues at full steam across India. Led by SAI India Project Director Rishi Sher Singh, the project in 2012 convened 13 workshops, with 307 participants from 131 factories to implement " Management Systems to Address Gender Discrimination" in the ready-made garment sector. This exceeds the project's initial targets of 270 participants and 100 factories.
These trainings are being supported and co-delivered by local organizations such as SAVE in Tirupur and Sutradhara in Delhi. The RAGS program is supported by UKAID from the Department for International Development (DFID). The workshops provideded a space for participants to raise awareness about gender discrimination in the factory as well as at the community level. Gender discrimination draws ever more widespread and intense attention in India. The brutal rape of a 23-year old medical student in New Delhi, which resulted in her death two weeks later, has galvanized both Indians and a global audience to closely examine the structural inequities that perpetuate this behavior, and their implications for the safety of women.
Positive and encouraging feedback about the RAGS course continues to come in. In a survey taken by all participants, 92% said that they would recommend this training for others in their factory. One participant from a major retail brand mentioned, "although all the factories are maintaining the committees on sexual harassment, participation in this workshop actually increased their awareness on this subject...we are sure that these kinds of workshops will help the factory personnel to better perform their duties."
The transformative impact of the workshops has already been observed. In specific cases, these trainings have sensitized legal officers of garments factories to the needs of workers, especially women. For example, a garment factory worker had been sick for days, and her father asked her to return to her village to give her proper care. However, the factory management denied her sick leave. The request was elevated by SAVE to the factory's legal officer. He had attended the training, interacted with the trainers, and he agreed to provide the woman with sick leave to return to her village. While this may seem like a simple decision, it was a notable moment that signified a transformation in attitude. Following this, another young woman in a different factory was also granted sick leave from her work to take care of herself.
Parallel to these workshops, Mr. Singh has also been supporting the work of "KauraJus" a group whose mission is to help underprivileged women and children in India. This gave him an opportunity to visit slums in Bangalore, to better understand women's issues first-hand. This brought added perspectives in shaping the RAGS project trainings. The jute RAGS banner in the photo above, created by KauraJus, is a symbolic reminder for all workshop participants. For more information on these activities, please read the article by KauraJus' Founder Pushpinder Kaur - ' KauraJus - Weaving Hope in Women.'
Additional trainings continue until May 2013. For more information, please view the course brochure, or the Project's web page at www.sa-intl.org/indiarags.
To apply to participate in these trainings, please contact SAI India Project Director Rishi Sher Singh - rishi@sa-intl.org.
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Brazil: Beraca Hosts Workshop for Suppliers in Amazon
3rd annual workshop offered a forum for dialogue and discussion on sustainability issues
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Group photo from the event in Bel�m, Par�, Brazil where over 40 representatives attended this workshop, including SAI Representative Beat Gr�ninger who presented on the issue of child labor in Brazil. [Photo credit: Beat Gr�ninger]
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On December 4, 2012 in Bel�m, Par�, the S�o Paolo-based natural products company and SAI Corporate Member, Beraca, hosted its third annual workshop with its community of suppliers from Brazil's Amazon region. Over 40 representatives attended from producer groups that supply oil seeds and different products indigenous to the Amazon to Beraca's factory in Belem. The workshop offered a space for suppliers' dialogue about work and to discuss any issues that they face with regard to commercialization and the proper organization of their productive chain. The workshop also highlighted different aspects of the certifications that Beraca has earned, such as the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT), EcoCert, USDA organic certification and SA8000.
SAI Representative Beat Gr�ninger from BSD Consulting attended the event, and presented on the issue of child labor, which is a frequent concern in northern Brazil. A 2011 study conducted by the Brazilian Institute for Statistics IBGE estimated that about half a million individuals under 16 are at work in this region; in Brazil as a whole it is estimated that there are over 3.5 million. This topic led to a discussion about to what extent agricultural tasks assigned to young family members can be accepted, as these suppliers are mostly small, informal family businesses of seed and plant extraction and collection. A key topic was how to administer, monitor and control practices to avoid hazards. An important conclusion drawn was that it is fundamental to raise awareness in the producer group�s communities, because it may be unclear where is the line between traditional family tasks, age old local customs and being part of a commercial production chain. Thus there can be inherent risk that young workers are exposed to unsafe working conditions.
During the Forum titled "Beracom," the German Technical Cooperation organization (GIZ) and Beraca gave a presentation on their public-private partnership (PPP) that will help develop producer groups with support for business management and good social and environmental practices. SAI participated in the project development and design.
For more information, please contact SAI Communications Manager Joleen Ong - JOng@sa-intl.org.
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1st Electronics Sector Roundtable Convenes in India
SAI & Cividep joint roundtable draws a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss challenges in the sector, and a collective path forward
On November 30, 2012, SAI and the Bangalore-based NGO Cividep convened a multi-stakeholder roundtable to enable social dialogue on challenges in the electronics sector and discuss effective implementation of workplace standards. The meeting sought to build the capacity of all stakeholders to understand the underlying challenges of the sector and to find collective solutions.
Electronics is a rapidly growing sector in India, pulling in an estimated $45 billion in 2011 and employing more than 4 million people. "As this sector continues to boom, stakeholders have a collective responsibility to be conscious of the implications on labor, environment, health & safety and e-recycling," said SAI India Project Director, Rishi Sher Singh. "We need to ensure a sustainable supply chain by proactive actions, when trying to meet the growing demands for products such as computers, mobile phones, medical equipment etc. Social dialogue's consensus-based process is a much needed step for sustainable Indian manufacturing."
Twenty-one people representing a diverse mix of sectors participated -- civil society organizations, trade unions, international organizations, companies and manufacturers. The roundtable was coordinated and facilitated by SAI India Project Director Rishi Sher Singh and Cividep's Corporate Accountability Advisor, Laura Ceresna- Chaturvedi. SAI's Training Coordinator Stephanie Wilson and SAI Europe Representative Edwin Koster also attended.
The roundtable discussion addressed several points:
- the need for social dialogue;
- stakeholder mapping;
- priorities of the sector;
- voices of workers -- including a guest speaker employed in a major manufacturing unit near Chennai
- contract labor issues
- UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights -- including a presentation by Mr. Koster; and
- special economic zones (SEZs) -- including guest speaker Ms. Ramapriya Gopalakrishnan
SAI and Cividep expect to convene future multi-stakeholder roundtables in India for the electronics sector. All participants expressed an interest in continuing the dialogue in 2013, and agreed to start with an issue of common interest - health and safety. SAI and Cividep are inviting participation in upcoming roundtables for 2013, to engage with more stakeholders and work towards tangible outcomes.
To learn more about the roundtable, read the detailed meeting report at bit.ly/emacs2012. For more information or to inquire about future participation, please contact SAI India Project Director Rishi Sher Singh - Rishi@sa-intl.org.
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Pillars in Practice Program Spotlight: BangladeshThe Bangladesh garment sector is one of the three countries and sectors that the PiP Program focuses on to implement the UN Guiding Principles
Over the past decade, trade policy liberalization has fueled Bangladesh's economy, which grew at an average rate of nearly 6% per year. Between 2000 and 2011, the country's GDP increased from $45 billion to $106 billion, and is set to continue growing very fast in the upcoming years. Exports are a major part of Bangladesh's economy, for which the garment sector is of particular importance. In 1995, garments formed 53% of total exports, but now account for more than 79%. Many companies, brands, and global retailers outsource their clothing and footwear production to the country, and Bangladesh's garment sector now comprises over 5,000 factories and 3.5 million workers, 85% of whom are women. It is thus a major source of employment that spurs exports and economic growth. These economic opportunities allowed many advances in terms of human development and employment generation. However, because of low literacy rates of workers in Bangladesh's garment sector and frequent antagonism between management and unions, there is concern over workers' awareness of their rights. Bangladesh sharply curtailed child labor in the 1990s in response to international pressure, and although it remains an issue in garment supply chains there, it is far less widespread than it used to be. Currently, occupational health and safety is a key focal point for the industry, as the horrific fires at Tazreen, and numerous others over the past 5 - 10 years have drawn national and international attention. According to the ILO, work-related accidents and disease continue to be a serious problem in Bangladesh. These are caused by a wide range of endemic factors, including widespread lack of compliance with health and safety standards at factories, for example: old, low standard, electric wiring installations; lack of proper usage of fire extinguishers; non compliant emergency exits; lack of working smoke detectors; lack of unlockable fire escape exit doors; locked doors and windows closed by metal bars by factory floor supervisors; and, importantly, a disconnect and lack of communication channels between mid level managers, front line workers and top management. Corruption, close and mutually supportive interrelations between top government officials and factory owners, dangerous building practices such as the addition of production floors on existing structures without proper authorization from relevant authorities, building on unstable ground, and lax enforcement are also widely identified as key factors. These are examples of sub-standards practices that must be changed. Price and the advantage of duty drawback for exports to Europe also plays a key role in influencing the change needed in factories. Bangladesh's success in the garment sector is attributed to rock bottom labor costs - the minimum wage for garment workers is $36 per month since 2010 ($20 before). Blame is often placed on the international buyers who source their products from Bangladesh, as most quote extremely low buying prices which leave little room for manufacturers to cover overhead costs, infrastructure and preventative measures for safe working environments.
SAI Lead Trainer Sanjiv Singh just led several SA8000 training courses in Chittagong and Dhaka. He notes that another reason for the Bangladeshi garment sector low prices is low operating cost resulting from limited adherence to fire safety codes like the Electricity Act 1910, the Electricity Rules 1937 and the Bangladesh National Building Code 2006.
The PiP Program will roll out its programs in May, starting in Bangladesh, with informational and training sessions about the Ruggie Principles and workplace safety. The CSR Centre Bangladesh is the locally based partner who will oversee these activities, led by its CEO Shahamin S. Zaman. Other countries and NGOs involved in this project are Professionals for Corporate Social Auditing (PASE) in the Nicaraguan agriculture sector, and the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) in the mining sector. The program is funded by the U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.
Follow the PiP program on Facebook at facebook.com/pillarsinpractice.This article was written by SAI Development Intern Tina Baboyan, with contributions from CSR Centre CEO Shahamin S. Zaman and SAI Lead Trainer Sanjiv Singh. For inquiries about the PiP Project, please contact Tina at TBaboyan@sa-intl.org, and SAI Development Manager Eliza Wright -Ewright@sa-intl.org.
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Implementing the UN Guiding Principles for Business & Human Rights
Two-day Training Event - January 28-29, Utrecht, The Netherlands
 | | Cover of SAI & ICCO's handbook to implement the UN Guiding Principles. |
In June 2011, the UN adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, written by UN Special Representative John Ruggie. One of the principles is for businesses to respect human rights in their companies internally and in their supply chains. But what does this mean and how do you accomplish this?
To assist with the Guiding Principles' goals, SAI and ICCO developed tools for business and started a new training course centered on their recent Handbook & Toolkit. November 27-28 the course was delivered in Bangalore, India. Priyadarshini Sharma, Senior Manager, Office of the Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, who attended the course, remarked:
"Tata Steel works with the SA8000 in upholding labor and human rights principles. We seek to expand the Management Review for SA8000 to include the human rights context going beyond the workplace. Attending the course was a step in the direction of structuring approaches to develop an integrated framework for salient risks."
The training course in Utrecht, The Netherlands on January 28-29, 2013 was the latest installment. The next course is expected to take place in Brazil, date and location TBD.
The course aims to build understanding on:
- Content, Scope and Implications of the Guiding Principles and the Corporate Responsibility to Respect
- The critical issue of whether a company caused, contributed to or is linked to negative human rights impacts in its supply chain and as a result what action is expected of a company
- Avoiding negative impacts in the supply chain by adding a collaborative approach to supplier codes of conduct
- The human rights that need to be respected and on how to prioritize between these rights
- The business case for human rights
Additionally the course introduces a six-step method on how to implement a supply chain management system that integrates the respect for human rights. The six steps are:
- Committing to a human rights policy
- Assessing human rights impact
- Integrating human rights in policies, procedures and responsibilities
- Tracking human rights implementation
- Communicating human rights impact
- Remediating adverse human rights impacts
For inquiries and to register, visit www.sa-intl.org/unguidingprinciplescourse or contact SAI Training Coordinator Stephanie Wilson - SWilson@sa-intl.org.
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SAI Advisory Board Updates
Dorianne Beyer, Chair of the SAI Advisory Board's Membership Committee announced some recent developments to the board
"Pursuant to the Advisory Board's newly agreed and implemented Membership rotation policies, the Main seat holders Manuel Rodriguez (Chiquita) and Aadith D. Vikram (Prem Group Company) and their Alternates George Jaksch (Chiquita) and Robin Cornelius (Switcher) have been accordingly rotated off the SAI Advisory Board as of December 31, 2012.
As "oldtimers", and very dedicated ones at that, their service has been both commendably long and extremely valuable. Truly, SAI and SA8000 would not be the esteemed agency and standard it is today without the significant contributions of these Advisory Board members. We thank them beyond measure.
The Advisory Board is multi-stakeholder in structure. We will maintain the balance of membership between trade unions, civil society organizations and companies. The Membership Committee plans to introduce the nominations of three new candidates at the Spring Advisory Board meeting. Your suggestions of possible candidates are welcome."
This notice was written by Ms. Beyer, Esq. For more information, or to submit a suggestion of a candidate to serve on an SAI Board, please contact SAI Manager, Corporate & Executive Services Christie Daly - CDaly@sa-intl.org.
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SA8000 Auditor Training in Chittagong
 | | Group photo of participants from the SA8000 Basic Auditor training course in Chittagong, Bangladesh on November 25-29, 2012. [Photo credit: Sanjiv Singh] |
On November 25-29, 2012 SAI convened a Basic SA8000 Auditor Training course in Chittagong, Bangladesh hosted by the German Technical Cooperation (GIZ). The course was led by SAI Lead Trainer, Sanjiv Singh. The course was attended by 16 individuals, including representatives from local factories, buyers, certification bodies, industry associations, government, and GIZ. Following this course, Mr. Singh led another course in Dhaka, Bangladesh, hosted by GIZ. Special thanks to GIZ for hosting both courses in Bangladesh as part of its Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards in the Industry (PSES) project. This event was written up in the Bangladesh paper, the Daily Sun. Read it @bit.ly/YbTRT0
To see more photos from the SA8000 auditor training courses, check out SAI's Facebook page @on.fb.me/UxpJNc .
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Upcoming SA8000 training courses:
Location: New Delhi
Date: February 27-March 1, 2013
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SAI training courses are designed to encourage proficiency in social compliance and emphasize the implementation of management systems in combination with performance elements. These courses are required for all SA8000 and BSCI auditors, and are just as valuable to internal auditors, buyers, managers and workers for auditing to any labor code or standard. The courses are open to all. Complimentary places are available for NGO and trade union participants.
For more information, contact SAI Training Coordinator, Stephanie Wilson at SWilson@sa-intl.org.
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Highlights & Announcements
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In December, SAI Senior Manager Jane Hwang conducted a Social Fingerprint Training-of-Trainers in Shenzhen with SAI Authorized Representative, Shenzhen Madison Technical Services Co. From left: Mike Lee, Phoenix Zhang, Jane Hwang, Anie Zhu, Alina Zhu and Cherry Liu.
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Parliament of India Passes Companies Bill On December 18, the Companies Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha (House of the People, Parliament of India) which aims to overhaul corporate governance norms. It will grant shareholders greater powers to defend their rights and mandate companies to invest in CSR initiatives. Learn more @http://bit.ly/TmHIJf
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