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September 2013
1. SA8000 Spotlight: Interview with Princes Tuna Mauritius
2. Brazil Worker Engagement Program: Midpoint Review
3. SA8000:2014 Standard Revision Update
4. UN Guiding Principles in Bangladesh, Nicaragua & Zimbabwe
5. How Companies Can Implement the UN Guiding Principles for Business & Human Rights
6. Meet SAI's New Interns
7. Fair Trade Fashion Runway in NYC
8. SA8000 Auditor Trainings Courses in China & India
9. Highlights & Announcements
Jobs & Internships 
Pillars in Practice Program
 

 

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Responsible Electronics 2013 Conference

EICC - San Francisco, CA

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-Getting Started in Your Company

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Developing & Implementing Effective Social Performance Management Systems
New York, NY
Date TBD


December 19-20
New Delhi, India
 

  SA8000 Fire Safety Webinar  

Auditing for Fire Safety in the SA8000 & BSCI System
[Mandatory for SA8000/BSCI Auditors]
 

 SA8000 Basic Auditor Training

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October 21-25    

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November 18-22
 

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November 25-29
 

 SA8000 Advanced Auditor Training 

  Shenzhen, China
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November 13-15 
 

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SA8000 Online Revision Course
  
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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

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topSA8000 Spotlight: Interview with Princes Tuna Mauritius
The Princes Tuna Mauritius canning facility has been SA8000 certified for ten years
The Princes Tuna Mauritius tuna canning facility, SA8000 certified since 2003. [Photo credit: Princes Tuna Mauritius]
2013 marks the 10 year anniversary of Princes Tuna Mauritius' certification to the SA8000 Standard. The tuna canning facility, located in Port Louis, Mauritius, employs an estimated 2,054 workers. Over the past decade, the benefits of being a socially responsible company have become readily apparent to the company. For example, it now has the lowest absenteeism rate in Mauritius. SAI interviewed a company representative to learn more about its journey with the SA8000 Standard, its workers and their 'hand-made' product. 

SAI: Tell us a little bit about Princes Tuna Mauritius (PTM)
PTM: Princes Tuna came into being in 1999, after Princes bought an existing tuna cannery, which had been built in a converted railway station. In 2000 we built a new cannery facility, which employs 2,054 workers, producing around 800,000 cans of tuna every day. We are an export-based cannery, shipping about 70% of our produce to the UK, and 30% elsewhere in Europe.

Tuna canning is a very labor-intensive process. It is important to remember, when you enter the supermarket and buy a can of tuna that it is a hand-made product. That tuna has been washed, cleaned, cut, and canned, by people.

We have been SA8000 certified since 2003, and, in addition completed our first second party social audit in 2010, fulfilling three more second party social audits since then.

SAI: What are some of the benefits that you've seen from becoming SA8000 certified?
PTM: There have also been numerous practical benefits of having a socially responsible system in place. Due to our procedures, we have the lowest absenteeism rate in Mauritius; on average, absenteeism in other industries averages up to 30%; we have less than 6%. The secret is to give people a reason to want to go to work. We implemented company surveys to ask employees what were their main reasons for working at Princes' Tuna. The most frequent reason was: "Princes Tuna is a safe place to work." Pay only came eighth on the list. People were proud to work for Princes Tuna.

SAI; As an SA8000 certified facility, what are some areas that might be challenging to achieve compliance?
PTM: A challenging part of the standard is its requirements regarding work hours. As a facility with a large segment of expatriate workers, you're attracting the people that want to work more than 60 hours. Many workers request more overtime, and specifically want to work more than 75, 80 hours a week, and we have to explain to them why we cannot simply have unlimited overtime.

Illiteracy can also be an issue. A lot of our workers are illiterate; they don't know how to use bank accounts, so we make sure to open bank accounts automatically for all our workers. Unions also often come and give training sessions at the factory, in all sorts of areas, from lifestyle training to awareness of HIV.

SAI: Where does most of your workforce come from?
PTM: Around 1/3 of our workforce, approximately 700 workers, is expatriate, coming mostly from Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Mauritius has always tried to portray itself as a good place to do business, and fortunately has very strict regulations for guest workers. Princes Tuna offers free transportation, food allowances, a subsidized canteen, medical facilities with free treatment and 50% discount for prescription charges,

Over 18 languages are spoken in the cannery, and we have a Welfare Officer who speaks many different dialects, and ensure that key documents are printed in Hindi, as it is the most common language that is spoken. 

SAI: Can you explain your recruitment process?
PTM: We put a lot of attention into our recruitment processes. We have two agents that do recruitment; both of these are screened. Workers are given extensive orientation in their countries of origin. They are aware before they come of where they will stay and live, and are shown pictures and videos. Furthermore, potential expatriate workers have to sign their contract before they get a work permit. Once they receive their permits, they are taken to the dormitory and receive an advance payment. In the first week they have a medical screening and receive both a dormitory and factory induction training. After one week, they will join the factory team for the first time and start work. 
 
SAI; What are the difficulties of social compliance in the tuna industry?
PTM: Firstly, it is important to remember that canned tuna is a commodity product. Especially in Europe and in the UK, it's very much a price-dominated product. Since it's a price-driven commodity - we will have to absorb the costs; you will never get a premium for being socially accountable when you're making a commodity product. So the greatest challenge that the industry faces is how to make an ethical product the norm.

SAI: General Thoughts on Social Compliance
PTM: However over the last 10 years where we have not only sustained SA8000 certification but have continually improved our social performance, we can demonstrate that social accountability can apply to all sectors and all products and does not have to be "sold at a premium."

This interview was conducted by SAI Research Intern Daniel MacMillen and Communications Manager Joleen Ong. For more information about SA8000, contact SAI Sr. Manager of Stakeholder Relations & Research Alex Katz - [email protected].
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Brazil Worker Engagement Program: Midpoint Review 
Interview with SAI Representative Doug Cahn, the lead facilitator for the program to improve health and safety issues 
 
SAI Representative, Doug Cahn
On August 19th, the four worker-manager teams from the Brazil Worker Engagement Program's first wave of companies gathered in S�o Paulo for their Midpoint Review Workshop. This was the Day 50 mark in their 100-day Social Fingerprint Rapid Results (SFRR) projects tackling occupational health and safety. The workshop was a chance for the teams to reflect on their achievements thus far, refocus their work plans based on lessons and challenges, and re-energize for the next 50 days. The workshop was led by SAI, its Authorized Representative BSD, and partners - the Rapid Results Institute and Good World Solutions. 

SAI Representative Doug Cahn, Principal of the Cahn Group LLC, was the lead facilitator at the workshop. SAI interviewed Mr. Cahn to get his perspective on the program: 

SAI: How did the Midpoint Review Workshop go?
Doug Cahn: The workshop went very well. Each of the participating companies reflected on their work to date, learned new problem solving skills and laid out plans for how they would improve the likelihood of achieving their 100-day goal.

SAI: What was a moment that stood out to you?
DC: The participants came to the workshop eager to share the stories. During lunch, one company team took me aside and said they wanted to show me something. We sat down at a round table and the company team - workers and managers together - shared with me some photos of the new process they had created to reduce safety risk in the facility. They were very proud - and deservedly so.

SAI: Although the participating factories come from various sectors, do you see any common themes, experiences, or challenges across teams? 
DC: The common theme I see, and this is the great strength of the SFRR approach, is that workers and managers have come together to solve a problem. The SFRR facilitators spent more time listening than talking at the workshop, a sign that the teams were truly engaged in problem solving to meet their goals.

SAI: You've been in this sector a long time, what is your perspective on the SFRR program?
DC: One common mistake that CSR professionals make is to communicate codes of conduct in supply chains without an appreciation for how their business partners, like factories, will react to them. By allowing workers and managers together to identify specific, achievable short-term goals, we increase the likelihood of improvements that are successful, and then are followed by another and another.

SAI: Going forward, can you comment on the potential for this program?
DC: There are three elements of this program that make it special - a goal that is achievable in the short term, a team that is composed of workers and managers, and a focus on process that results in sustained improvements over time. Early indications are that together, these three elements are a very useful, effective and empowering approach to driving labor-related improvements in supply chains.
 
For more information about the Brazil Worker Engagement Program, visit www.sa-intl.org/brazilworkerengagement or contact Director of Corporate Programs & Training Jane Hwang - [email protected].

SA8000:2014 Standard Revision Update 
The SA8000 Standard Revision Committee plans to finalize the SA8000:2014 version in Spring 2014 

 

  Revision comments from over 30 subject matter experts have been received and analyzed. The SA8000 page on the SAI website will be updated in October with bios of the subject matter experts, all comments received, and a discussion and analysis of the comments.

The next step, already in process, includes a proposal from the Standard Revision Committee on suggested changes to adopt for SA8000:2014. These changes will be incorporated into a discussion draft of the 2014 standard. The draft will be reviewed by the committee and then go to the SAI Advisory Board for review and approval. Once approved it will be posted online for a 60-day public consultation period scheduled to begin by the end of November. Public comments will be analyzed for incorporation into the next draft, which will be reviewed by the Standards Committee a number of times before the final draft is sent to the Advisory Board in Spring 2014. 
 
For more information about the SA8000 Standard, visit www.sa-intl.org/sa8000 or contact Sr. Manager of Stakeholder Relations & Research Alex Katz - [email protected].  

UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights in Bangladesh, Nicaragua & Zimbabwe
The 'Pillars in Practice' Project moves forward with upcoming handbooks, training sessions and multi-stakeholder sessions 

The 'Pillars in Practice' (PIP) Project is continuing its momentum. After completing multi-stakeholder consultation meetings in Bangladesh, Nicaragua and Zimbabwe, work on the country-specific handbooks and training sessions is in full swing.

As part of the PIP project, SAI has developed a set of country and sector specific handbooks to assist with the understanding and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN GPs). The content for the handbooks, specifically the information on human rights risks and recommendations on how to address these risks, was developed through multi-stakeholder consultation in the three countries where the project is taking place: Bangladesh, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe.

Currently, the handbooks are undergoing revision to take into account comments from a multi-stakeholder group of handbook validators, composed of union, business, government, and civil society organization leaders. The handbooks will be distributed to multi-stakeholder attendees of training sessions on the UN GPs that will take place in October in Bangladesh and Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe in November. To further the continued impact of this work, the handbooks will be made available to download free online in English, and also translated into the local language for the Bangladeshi and Nicaraguan versions. The Danish Institute of Human Rights' (DIHR) Human Rights and Business Country Portal will also be available on the DIHR's Country Portal website

The CSR Centre Bangladesh and the Uni�n Nicarag�ense para la responsabilidad social empresarial (uniRSE), PIP partners will each train a multi-stakeholder group of over 50 participants in order to further understanding and implementation of the UN GPs. These groups will be convened to learn how to practically apply the UN GPs within their organizations, conducting activities that include risk assessments, stakeholder identification and mapping and grievance mechanism role playing.

In late September the Zimbabwe Handbook validation will take place and in early November PIP's Zimbabwe-based partner, the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association (ZELA), will conduct training courses for a multi-stakeholder group of over 50 participants. The next step in each country is the facilitation of initiatives by multi-stakeholder groups to implement the UN GPs, with case studies prepared for each country on one exemplary initiative, followed by a concluding Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Consultation to present the case study and project learnings.

'Like' the Pillars in Practice Program on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1dF8xMN.  For more information, contact SAI Sr. Manager of Research & Stakeholder Relations Alex Katz- [email protected].  

How Companies Can Implement the UN Guiding Principles for Business & Human Rights
Two-day training event demonstrates how companies can transform principles to practice

   

 
December 19-20, 2013
New Delhi, India  
June 2011, the UN adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, written by UN Special Representative John Ruggie. One of the tenets of the principles is that businesses need to respect human rights in their company and in their supply chains. But what does this mean and how is it accomplished?

The training addresses these questions with sections on:
  • Content, scope  and implications of the Guiding Principles  
  • How companies can meet their responsibility to respect human rights  
  • Distinguishing whether a company has caused, contributed to or is linked to adverse human rights impacts, and what actions are needed by the company as a response
  • Avoiding adverse impacts in the supply chain through collaborative approaches and mutual buyer-supplier responsibility  
  • Key human rights risks and how to prioritize among them
  • 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 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
Expected Participants 
The training is applicable to companies of any industry and size. It is designed for use by senior management, as well as professionals in the human resources, corporate social responsibility, compliance and sourcing departments. The training is also intended for CSR experts and consultants who train or advise companies, as well as for NGO, trade union and government representatives to learn about the implications of the Guiding Principles for their work.
 
Trainers
The training will be carried out by SAI Trainer Edwin Koster. Mr. Koster heads Max Value, SAI's Authorized Representative office in Europe. He has broad experience in sustainable supply chain management and is the co-author of the Handbook and Toolkit used in the Training.
 

To learn more about SAI and ICCO's training course and handbook on how to implement the UN Guiding Principles for Business & Human Rights, visit www.sa-intl.org/unguidingprinciples. For more information, please contact SAI Training Manager Stephanie Wilson - [email protected].  


Meet SAI's New Interns 
We are pleased to welcome Alicia Mara, Julie Nichols and Emelie Olivensj� to the team, in their own words:  
SAI Fall Interns (from left): Alicia Mara, University of Buffalo; Julie Nichols, Fordham University;  Emelie Olivensj�, Uppsala University
Alicia Mara: I am a recent graduate from the University at Buffalo with a double B.A. in International Studies and Music, a Mandarin Chinese minor, and was Vice President of the Amnesty International Chapter on campus. As an undergraduate, I was chosen as a student ambassador to travel to Beijing, China and London, England to study international leadership where I became particularly interested in being part of the change for good. I worked for Journey's End Refugee Services, where I furthered my interest in working with nonprofits and human rights issues, and I have also volunteered with the International Rescue Committee to provide administrative and logistical support to their Adult Education program.
 
I was particularly excited about working with SAI because of their approach to corporate social compliance and their work to eliminate human rights abuses from the global supply chain. I am working with Director of Operations, Michelle Bhattacharyya, and am currently researching and collecting data to create an SAI impact report. I'm very excited to be working with SAI to gain a further understanding of labor standards in the global supply chain and CSR while getting hands on experience. 
 
Julie Nichols: Originally from Massachussetts, I am a junior at Fordham University in New York, where I am majoring in sociology and minoring in visual arts. 
 
Throughout the course of my study at Fordham, I've developed a strong passion to see justice thrive in both my local neighborhood and overseas. After volunteering with numerous organizations in the Bronx, New York for past semesters, I am excited to have the chance to work for justice internationally with SAI. I am currently working with Director of Operations Michelle Bhattacharyya to research the different countries with which SAI works. I know that this experience will teach me a great deal and leave me with a better understanding of how to work for positive change in the world.

Emelie Olivensj�: I am a Master student in the Management in a Global Society program at Uppsala University in Sweden. As the program enables us to do an internship for a semester, I am thrilled to spend it at SAI who share my thoughts of advancing the human rights of the workers all over the world. I earned my B.A in Business Administration from the School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Sweden, and studied Corporate Social Responsibility in University of Buenos Aires. During my semester in Buenos Aires I also created the social environmental project 'Zero Garbage' at orphanages.
 
During my internship I will assist the Corporate Programs and Training Department. Since I have worked as a CSR-coordinator at a clothing company in Sweden, I hope to learn more practical approaches that companies can take to address CSR in their business, but also to share my point of view of CSR and the earlier experience I have gained.

Contact Alicia, Julie and Emelie at SAI - [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]. To learn more about SAI Internships, visit www.sa-intl.org/careers. For more information, contact [email protected].

Fair Trade Fashion Runway in NYC
NYC Fair Trade Coalition hosts fair fashion event during Fashion Week

On September 10, the NYC Fair Trade Coalition arranged Fair Fashion Runway at Wix Lounge. The purpose of the show was to promote eco-fashion and fair trade in one innovative show. The designers featured in the runway were ReciclaGem and Leota New York, both with their own inspiring style.

The event also included a marketplace venue for Fair Trade certified designers to display their goods. Before the runway set off, visitors were invited to the marketplace to learn more about the Fair Trade vendors' products. In addition to well-known Fair Trade products such as wine and chocolate, chocolate, jewelry, handbags, shoes and paper were also exhibited.

SAI sent intern Emelie Olivensj� to report back about the event. Several items in the marketplace caught her attention, including the products from jewelry company Soko. Soko has created a mobile e-commerce marketplace where African artisans are able to post and sell their products online to global consumers. 

This article was written by SAI Intern Emelie Olivensj� - [email protected]. To view more photos from the event, visit http://on.fb.me/1ax0K4d and http://bit.ly/17VnVoo.  
 

SA8000 Auditor Trainings Courses in China & India
Snapshots from the courses that took place in Shenzhen, China and Bangalore and New Delhi, India
Group photo from the SA8000 Basic Auditor Training course in Shenzhen, China on July 22-26 2013 with SAI Lead Trainer Mike Lee. [Photo credit: Phoenix Zhang]
Group photo from the SA8000 Basic Auditor Training course in Bangalore, India on August 5-9, 2013 with SAI Lead Trainer Badri Gulur. [Photo credit: Badri Gulur]
Group photo from the SA8000 Advanced Auditor Training course in New Delhi, India on August 19-21, 2013 with SAI Lead Trainer Badri Gulur. [Photo credit: Badri Gulur]
Learn more about SAI's SA8000 Basic & Advanced auditor training course on SAI's website. For more information about SAI's SA8000 Auditor Training courses, visit sa-intl.org/trainingschedule or contact Stephanie Wilson -[email protected].

Highlights & Announcements

CNTAC-ZDHC Stakeholder Meeting on Hazardous Chemicals in Textile Industry On August 29, SAI China Program Manager Jane Liu participated in this meeting in Beijing. Nearly 300 participants attended the event, which included representatives from the government, NGOs, brands, industrial associations and suppliers. 

 

Effective Social Compliance Management Systems Improving Social Performance in the Global Supply Chain On September 11, SAI Executive Advisor Craig Moss co-led a webinar presentation with MetricStream. The recording and presentation is now available: www.sa-intl.org/metricstream.

 

Save the Children Special Event at the UN Global Compact SAI President Alice Tepper Marlin spoke at the event on September 19 - 'From Theory to Action - Implementation to Practice'. Her speech will focus on 'going beyond the audit' and draw from SAI's experience promoting human rights at work.
 
EICC Responsible Electronics 2013 Conference On October 1-3 in San Francisco, CA, the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition will convene this conference that will feature vibrant discussion, valuable insight and powerful tools to help address complex social and environmental issues in the business supply chain. Open to non-EICC members. Learn more - bit.ly/188KhB5.