Manufacturing code

1. Employment is freely chosen
1.1. There is no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour.
1.2. Workers are not required to lodge “deposits” or their identity papers with their
employer and are free to leave their employer after reasonable notice.
2. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are
respected
2.1. Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade unions of their
own choosing and to bargain collectively.
2.2. The employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and
their organizational activities.
2.3. Workers representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out
their representative functions in the workplace.
2.4. Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted
under law, the employer facilitates, and does not hinder, the development of
parallel means for independent and free association and bargaining.
3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic
3.1. A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in mind the
prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps
shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated
with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimizing, so far as is reasonably
practicable, the cause of hazards inherent in the working environment.
3.2. Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training, and such
training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.
3.3. Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary
facilities for food storage shall be provided.
3.4. Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of
the workers.
3.5. The company observing the code shall assign responsibility for health and safety
to a senior management representative.
4. Child labour shall not be used

4.1. There shall be no new recruitment of child labour.
4.2. Companies shall develop or participate in and contribute to policies and
programmes which provide for the transition of any child found to be performing
child labour to enable her or him to attend and remain in quality education until
no longer a child; “child” and “child labour” being defined in the appendices.
4.3. Children and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night or in
hazardous conditions.
4.4. These policies and procedures shall conform to the provisions of the relevant ILO
standards.
5. Living wages are paid
5.1. Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum,
national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. In
any event wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide
some discretionary income.
5.2. All workers shall be provided with written and understandable information about
their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment
and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period concerned each time
that they are paid.
5.3. Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall
any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without
the expressed permission of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures
should be recorded.
6. Working hours are not excessive
6.1. Working hours must comply with national laws, collective agreements, and the
provisions of 6.2 to 6.6 below, whichever affords the greater protection for
workers. Sub-clauses 6.2 to 6.6 are based on the international labour standards.
6.2. Working hours, excluding overtime, shall be defined by contract, and shall not
exceed 48 hours per week.*
6.3. All overtime shall be voluntary. Overtime shall be used responsibly, taking into
account all the following: the extent, frequency and hours worked by individual
workers and the workforce as a whole. It shall not be used to replace regular
employment. Overtime shall always be compensated at a premium rate, which is
recommended to be not less than 125% of the regular rate of pay.
6.4. The total hours worked in any seven day period shall not exceed 60 hours, except
where covered by clause 6.5 below.
6.5. Working hours may exceed 60 hours in any seven day period only in the
exceptional circumstances where all of the following are met:
 this is allowed by national law

this is allowed by a collective agreement freely negotiated with a
workers’ organization representing a significant portion of the
workforce
 appropriate safeguards are taken to protect the workers’ health and
safety; and
 the employer can demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply
such as unexpected production peaks, accidents or emergencies.
6.6. Workers shall be provide with at least one day off in every seven day period or,
where allowed by national law, two days off every 14 day period.
*International standards recommend the progressive reduction of normal hours of work, when
appropriate, to 40 hours per week, without any reduction in workers’ wages as hours are reduced.
7. No discrimination is practised
7.1. There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion,
termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age,
disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or
political affiliation.
8. Regular employment is provided
8.1. To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognized
employment relationship establish through national law and practice.
8.2. Obligations to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations
arising from the regular employment relationship shall not be avoided through the
use of labour-only contracting, sub-contracting, or home-working arrangements,
or through apprenticeship schemes where there is no real intent to impact skills or
provide regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be avoided through
the excessive use of fixed-term contracts of employment.
9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed
9.1. Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse. Sexual or other
harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.
The provisions of this code constitute minimum and not maximum standards, and this code
should not be used to prevent companies from exceeding these standards. Companies applying
this code are expected to comply with national and other applicable law and, where the
provisions of law and this Base Code address the same subject, to apply that provision which
affords the greater protection.