Corporate Social Accountability and Ethical Trading – Supplier Code of Conduct
Oakes Millers Ltd/Dodson & Horrell Ltd as manufacturers and suppliers of top-quality horse feed, herbs, poultry feed and zoo rations, serving customers across the United Kingdom and internationally, are committed to sourcing products of the highest quality, safety and legality which meet its customer’s requirements. These may be sourced from many countries with diverse cultures and economies. We are committed to the procurement of these products being carried out in accordance with this Code of Conduct. All suppliers of products to Oakes Millers Ltd/Dodson & Horrell Ltd outside the UK will do so in accordance with this Code of Conduct (note that for suppliers within the UK we further require UK employment law to be applied and fully implemented).
Oakes Millers Ltd/Dodson & Horrell Ltd do not claim to have all the answers to highly complex social and ethical issues. We do however aim to act responsibly in all of our commercial and trading activities, and we will do what we can to ensure that the working conditions of people working for our suppliers continue to improve so as to meet our Supplier Code of Conduct and all relevant international standards.
Oakes Millers Ltd/Dodson & Horrell Ltd also recognizes its obligations to its own employees, including agency and part-time labour, and on this basis will ensure that all legal and recognised codes of practice requirements are met.
Supplier Code of Conduct
1. EMPLOYMENT IS FREELY CHOSEN
1.1 No forced, bonded, indentured or involuntary prison labour is allowed in any part of the business. Participation, engaging or promoting in any of these forms of labour and/or trafficking of any person must not be taking place. All workers have a right to choose their employment freely and are not mentally or physically coerced to provide their labour.
1.2 All slavery and human trafficking laws must be complied with. All business operations are to be free from slavery and human trafficking practices, both internally and within the supply chains.
1.3 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 organisational activities.
2.3 Workers representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace. Such representative functions should include a workers committee with elected members where workers can confidentially raise concerns they may have with regard to this Supplier Code of Conduct
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 causes 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 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 express permission of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded.
6. WORKING HOURS ARE NOT EXCESSIVE
6.1 Working hours comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection.
6.2 Workers shall not be required to work in excess of 48 hours per week (unless written opt-out agreement has been signed, in accordance with Working Time Regulations 1998) and shall be provided with at least one day off for every 7 days period on average.
6.3 Overtime must be on a voluntary basis, shall not be demanded on a regular basis and shall always be compensated.
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 or social origin.
8. REGULAR EMPLOYMENT IS PROVIDED
8.1 To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of a recognised employment relationship established 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 impart 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.
10. APPENDIX A Definitions
10.1 Child - Any person less than 15 years of age unless local minimum age law stipulates a higher age for work or mandatory schooling, in which case the higher age shall apply. If, however, local minimum age law is set at 14 years of age in accordance with developing country exceptions under ILO Convention No. 138, the lower will apply
10.2 Young Person - Any worker over the age of a child as defined above & under the age of 18
10.3 Child Labour - Any work by a child or young person younger than the age(s) specified in the above definitions, which does not comply with the provisions of the relevant ILO standards, and any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s or young person’s education or to be harmful to the child’s or young person’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.
Suppliers to Oakes Millers Ltd/Dodson & Horrell Ltd
Modern Slavery Act 2015
(Please complete below)
Company name
I hereby confirm that the above company:
- 1. has received the Oakes Millers Ltd/Dodson & Horrell Ltd Corporate Social Accountability and Ethical Trading Supplier Code of Conduct.
- 2. is aware of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
- 3. is working to comply with this legislation in the supply of products sold to
Oakes Millers Ltd/Dodson & Horrell Ltd.
Name
Signature
Position
Date
Additionally, please attach a copy of your own Modern Slavery Statement & Ethical Trading Code of Practice.
Please scan and-return your signed form to compliance@hjlea.com
Alternatively, please post for attention of:
Dot Gidge
Oakes Millers Ltd
Aston Mill, Wrenbury Road
Aston, Nantwich
Cheshire, CW5 8DH