VALUES Ridam Group
Ridam requires our suppliers and partners to respect the principles of the UN Global Compact, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Fundamental Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Ridam reserves the right to discontinue any relationship with suppliers who do not comply with these requirements.
Ridam is an member of Amfori organisation (www.amfori.org) and follows BSCI the code of conduct. The BSCI Code of Conduct (showing a willingness to improve working conditions) is a set of principles and values that reflect the beliefs of BSCI Participants and the expectations they have towards their business partners.
SOCIAL REQUIREMENTS
Our supplier undertakes to respect the laws and regulations in force in all the countries (and their designed manufacturing facilities) where it operates, and in particular the following:
Human Rights and working conditions
Use of forced or compulsory labour
The supplier undertakes not under any circumstances to use forced or compulsory labour as defined in Fundamental Conventions 29 and 105 of the ILO: “all work or service exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily”. The retention – as a condition of employment – of identity papers, passports, certificates of training, work permit or any other identification documents is prohibited, as is the requirement for workers to provide financial guarantees or deposits.
Child labour
The supplier undertakes not to cause to work any persons under the minimum age required to work as defined in Fundamental Conventions 138 and 182 of the ILO. The absolute minimum age for admission to employment shall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling, i.e. 15 years or even 14 if the law of the country permits. In all cases it is prohibited to entrust hazardous work to youngsters aged less than 18 years.
In cases where children are nevertheless observed to be present in plants, it is up to suppliers to shoulder their responsibility towards them and ensure, among other things, that they have access to healthcare and schools while taking into account the economic impact of such decisions on the level of their family’s resources. Should the solution consist in removing children from plants, Ridam recommends that these children should preferentially be replaced by adult members of the same family or it salary should be paid temporally till the child legal working age is reached.
Hours worked
Working time acceptable to Ridam shall be determined by the regulations of the countries in which its suppliers operate. All workers have at least one day of rest per week, except under exceptional circumstances.
Remuneration
All workers must be paid at least the reference national or local legal minimum wage, and enjoy the legal benefits. This remuneration must meet their basic needs and those of their family members who depend directly on them. The supplier undertakes not to make any deduction from the remuneration for disciplinary reasons or for any other reason not covered by the regulations in force and without the formal consent of the worker.
Our suppliers should pay earned wages no later than 30 days from beginning of the wage period.
Supplier should document the timely distribution of wages.
Health and safety
Our supplier undertakes to implement a health and safety policy that aims to ensure for all employees are safe and healthy workplace and maintain an environment in which the dignity of the individual is respected.
In particular:
Workplaces must not present a risk for the health and safety of workers. Should hazardous materials or products be used, workers must be informed and must be trained in the prevention of the risks arising from their use. The supplier must provide its workers with appropriate protective clothing and equipment.
Any use of corporal punishment, verbal and physical abuse, or the threat of physical abuse, and any form of psychological or sexual harassment is prohibited.
Emergency exits must be marked and must be easily accessible and usable, alarm and sprinkler systems must be in working condition and must be appropriate for the risks. If necessary, access to health care must be guaranteed for workers.
Ridam encourage its suppliers to implement a health and safety initiative in all countries where they operate and, where possible, obtain OHSAS 18001 certification (OHSAS 18001 gives the organisational requirements for an occupational health and safety management system. As an integral part of your sustainable development strategy, this initiative based on continuous improvement al lows you to increase your efficiency and reduce risks and accidents. This initiative is open to any type of business, regardless of size or industry, and can be perfectly integrated into your quality or environmental management system).
Discrimination
Our supplier shall not make any distinction between individuals based on their social or ethnic origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, nationality, name, political opinions, trade union activities, religious beliefs, physical appearance, health, disability or condition of pregnancy. In accordance with Fundamental Conventions 100 and 111 of the ILO, our supplier undertakes to treat its employees equally, provide them with equal opportunities and prohibit any and all discrimination in matters of hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion or trade union membership. Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining. Our supplier undertakes to respect freedom of association and the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining as defined in Fundamental Conventions 87 and 98 of the ILO: “Freedom of association means that workers and employers can establish organizations of their choice, join such organizations and manage them without interference from the state or anyone else”. All workers should enjoy adequate protect ion against acts of discrimination that undermine freedom of association in employment.
ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
The supplier undertakes to ensure that its activities are not harmful for the environment. It must comply with al l the laws and regulations in force in all the countries (and their designed manufacturing facilities) where it operates and in particular the following:
Risk prevention
The supplier shall apply the precautionary principle in its approach to environmental problems and ensure that it controls its potential risks by the strictest observance of best practices.
Impact on the environment; Our supplier undertakes to develop a measurement system in order to implement initiatives intended to reduce:
- Use of non-renewable resources (oil, natural gas, metals, etc.
- Energy and water consumption
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Pollution of the environment (water, soil, air)
- Waste production.
Releases
Any releases into air, water or soil of materials, emissions or substances that may constitute hazards for the environment must be identified, monitored, controlled and treated in accordance with the regulations prior to their discharge.
Hazardous substances
Our supplier undertakes to comply with the prohibitions / restrictions on substances and materials as required by the different regulations and by Ridam. Processes in place at supplier premises must enable it a) to ensure regulatory monitoring in the field, b) guarantee that its products do not contain materials of restricted or prohibited use, and c) immediately inform Ridam if imposed or voluntary changes are made concerning the composition or manufacture of the products delivered.
Chemicals and other materials whose release into the environment constitutes a hazard must be identified, label led and managed to ensure that their handling, use, transport , storage, recycling or reuse, and their disposal, are conducted safely and in compliance with the regulations. Workers handling these and other materials must be trained and equipped and emergency procedures must be in place in the event of an accident presenting a risk for the environment.
REACH Compliance
REACH is a regulation of the European Union designed to minimize risks to human health and the environment posed by chemicals. REACH regulation applies to most chemical substances used for production of products to be commercialized in the European Union. As a supplier you are expected to assist and, in some cases, register chemicals used in your production processes to ensure REACH compliance. Most importantly, chemicals registered and compliant to REACH regulation should not be changed or supplied by alternate vendors (as compared to the vendor the material was originally registered under) without thorough consultation our purchasing department.
Specifications & Product Testing
In order to correctly manufacture products to Ridam requirements, a supplier must obtain, control and update product specifications. A Supplier can’t change any specifications without Ridam approval. Some of Ridam customers require that (new) products from Ridam or its suppliers be tested prior to first product launch by customer. A representative of Ridam will make arrangements to come to the production facility and randomly select product from production to be tested by a third party (SGS) to the product specifications.
Audits
Depending on the product, Ridam or its customer may request audit(s) of a supplier. The audit would be scheduled as part of the supplier approval process. Ridam approved third party audit organization will contact the supplier and propose a date and a time for the audit; both the supplier and Ridam will agree before the audit is confirmed. Audits may be performed by Ridam staff or / and a qualified 3rd party (e.g., SGS, Intertek, ATeCQ Fr., Dekra) to perform the audit. The types of audits performed include Good Manufacturing Practices (FDA 21 CFR820) and Social/ Ethical audits (e.g., BSCI). Ridam staff can assist in preparing for an audit. Annual audits may be required to demonstrate continued compliance and improvements. The most common annual audits
are Good Manufacturing Practices and Social/ Ethical audits.
Certifications
Wherever possible, we encourage our suppliers to implement:
- Environmental Management System and obtain ISO 14001 certification
- IFS, ISO, BRC and FDA Quality standards and systems.
PARTNERSHIP, HONESTY AND TRUST
Our goal is to create long term partnerships with suppliers and customers through a collaborative approach requiring honesty and integrity.
Breukelen, The Netherlands
February 2020