Corporate responsibility

At Alcadon Group, quality not only means that our products should meet or exceed our customers’ expectations. It also entails that they are manufactured under good conditions and that our customers are happy with us as a company. Taking responsibility for the impact of our operations on people and the environment is also an important prerequisite for the future profitable growth of all subsidiaries. We will here explain how we do it.

Our Code of Conduct

Purpose

The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to construct a foundation of shared values, to which we and our suppliers can align our work. Our customers keep very high standards and we know that this includes that we as a company fulfil our responsibility.

Long-term relations with stakeholders, good practices and high business ethics and moral standards are key success factors for lasting growth and sustainability.
Alcadon Group’s Code of Conduct is based on the UN Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966, ILO (International Labour Organization) conventions and other relevant international standards for human rights and labour relations currently in force.
Manufacturing facilities shall be subject to regular visits by both our own staff and independent third parties. The supplier shall be responsible for ensuring that its operations adhere to this Code of Conduct. Our suppliers further have an obligation, in turn, to ensure that their suppliers, subcontractors, producers and partners involved in the manufacture of goods and services for companies within the Alcadon Group adhere to this policy. In addition to Alcadon Group’s Code of Conduct, the supplier is obliged to comply with national law and regulations.

Our requirements on suppliers

  1. Forced labour
    Suppliers may not participate in or benefit from any kind of compulsory labour, including prison labour, slave labour and human trafficking. The workers must enjoy the freedom of movement over the course of their employment.The employer may not require workers to deposit their identity documents, nor to pay any kind of deposit.
  2. Child labour and young workers
    Suppliers may not participate in or benefit from child labour. No workers may be younger than 15 years of age (or 14 years of age, if compliant with the national legal age for working).
    In the distribution of work tasks, particular attention must be paid to the age of the worker to not risk injuries, compromise safety or harm morale.
  3. Non-discrimination
    Suppliers shall not participate in or support discrimination based on race, colour, gender, language, religion, political opinion, caste, sexual orientation or any other characteristic features.Employment, remuneration, benefits, promotion, etc. shall be determined purely on the basis of relevant and objective criteria.
  4. Right to be organized
    Workers must be fully entitled to join a trade union or organize themselves in any other manner in order to conduct collective negotiations, without any interference from the employer. In cases where trade unions are not permitted, or only state-run trade unions are available, the supplier must facilitate other means for workers to organize themselves to discuss work-related problems and opportunities.
  5. Health and safety
    Suppliers must ensure that workers carry out their tasks in a safe and healthy environment, including, but not limited to, protection from fire, accidents and hazardous chemicals. The employer must provide employees with the necessary safety equipment and training to be able to perform their work tasks in a safe manner.Clean drinking water and toilets must be available to all workers. The above shall also apply to any accommodation provided by the company.
  6. Employment and working conditions
    Suppliers shall protect workers from all forms of degrading treatment and physical, sexual or verbal abuse. Suppliers must comply with the highest of the standards imposed by laws and legislation and industry practice in their determination of salaries and benefits. The salary must be sufficient to enable the worker and his immediate family to enjoy a decent level of existence.All workers are entitled to a written contract in their national language, parental leave, sick leave and paid annual leave. The national laws are considered to set the minimum level.
    The working week shall be limited to 48 hours. Overtime shall be voluntary and rare, never exceeding 12 hours per week. The worker shall be entitled to at least one day off per week, a sufficient number of breaks, and adequate rest between shifts.
  7. Working environment
    Suppliers are obligated to comply with health and safety regulations in accordance with international standards in cases where the domestic legislation is weak or lacking. The active cooperation between the management and the workers or their representatives is essential to develop and implement systems that ensure a safe and healthy working environment. This can be achieved through the implementation of workplace safety committees. Suppliers must ensure that there are systems in place to detect, assess, avoid and respond to potential threats to the health and safety of workers. Effective measures shall be taken to prevent that workers suffer work-related accidents, injuries or disease. Such measures should aim to minimize the causes of workplace hazards. Suppliers should strive to improve the protection of workers in the event of accidents, including via compulsory insurance systems. At all times, workers’ safety shall be the top priority. No dangerous equipment or unsafe buildings may be accepted. Suppliers shall implement appropriate measures to ensure the adequate stability and safety of any equipment and buildings in use, as well as to protect against any foreseeable emergency.
  8. Corruption and bribery
    Suppliers must refrain from bribing or otherwise exerting improper influence on government officials, judiciary representatives or other individuals in positions of power to gain unfair advantage in a commercial context.
  9. Responsibility for the origin of certain minerals
    Suppliers must establish a policy to reasonably ensure that any tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold in the products they manufacture do not, directly or indirectly, finance or benefit armed groups that commit serious violations of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country. Suppliers must carry out checks on the processing and traceability of these minerals. Upon request, such control measures shall be made available to customers.
  10. Environmental protection
    Suppliers shall strive to reduce their negative impact on the environment by controlling, among other things:
  • The use of natural resources, water and energy.
  • Air and water emissions.
  • Excessive noise, bothersome odours and factory dust emissions.
  • Potential and actual contamination of soil.
  • Management of hazardous substances.
  • Management of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
  • Design and handling of products. (design, packaging, transports, recycling, etc.)

Suppliers shall strive to continuously improve their environmental performance. The national laws are considered to set the minimum level.

  1. Zero-tolerance rules
    Companies within the Alcadon Group do not engage in business relationships with suppliers who are involved in human rights violations.
    We, therefore, consider the following to be unacceptable:
  • Exploitation of bonded labour, forced labour, including prison labour, and human trafficking.
  • All forms of child labour, including forced labour, child prostitution and any other work that could endanger the health, safety and morals of the child.
  • Harsh, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of personnel.
  • Exposing workers to a life-threatening working environment without communicating the risks and without taking safety measures.
  • Intentional contamination of water or air, or significant contamination of land.
  • Participating in violations of international humanitarian law and other crimes against humanity, as defined by international law.

If  companies within the Alcadon Group find reason to believe that any such violations have been repeatedly committed by a supplier, the company will terminate the business relationship, effective immediately. In the case of more serious crimes, the company will also notify the appropriate national authorities.