Our code of Conduct/BSCI

Our responsibility

RNB RETAIL AND BRANDS wants the people who manufacture our garments to have a good and safe work environment and receive adequate payment.

Own brands

RNB RETAIL AND BRANDS has no own plants but we inform suppliers of our view of working conditions and we want to ensure that plant management works in accordance with our demands. We strive for long-term cooperation with our suppliers and look for mutual understanding with regard to working conditions. This work requires respect for different cultures and work methods, however, without compromising the basic demands of our Code of Conduct. During our cooperation, several suppliers have become better at complying with our demands but there is still a lot left to do.

External brands

We inform external brands’ suppliers of RNB RETAIL AND BRANDS’ view regarding working conditions under which products are manufactured and request that they inform us of their procedures pertaining to these issues. It is not possible for RNB RETAIL AND BRANDS to inspect the plants that produce our external brands. Many of the external brands that are in our stores are owned by major global companies. These work very conscientiously with their own Codes of Conduct and have achieved significant results with their suppliers.

Improvements and controls

RNB RETAIL AND BRANDS has used a Code of Conduct since 1998. Since 2004, we have been members of Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) and work according to a Code of Conduct and a system for improvements that is common with other companies. BSCI is a European cooperation group in which a large number of companies have merged to facilitate companies and suppliers by having the same demands. All suppliers must sign our Code of Conduct and undertake to comply. They must also allow controls by us or independent controllers working for us. We have our own personnel working on improvements in plants in our most important purchasing markets, Hong Kong/China and Turkey. They work continuously to inform and monitor our suppliers and encourage and suggest improvements in the plants. We invite suppliers to workshops and training courses so that they will understand the benefits of a satisfactory work environment and taking care of their employees.

The Code of Conduct common for the companies that are members of BSCI contains the following principal subjects:

• Social compliance
• Freedom of association and collective bargaining
• Prohibition of Discrimination
• Assurance of Wages
• Overtime
• Health and Safety
• Prohibition of Child labour
• Prohibition of Forced labour
• Waste management

Read more on BSCI’s website: www.bsci-eu.org

Common observations

The most common observations in our control reports pertain to inadequate cleaning and order in plants and that protective equipment is sometimes not used in the proper manner. These problems are often relatively easy to rectify, if the plant management so wishes. Other common observations include the lack of unions for employees, excessive overtime and incorrect setting of wage rates. These observations often take longer for the plant to rectify. When we discover shortcomings, we give the supplier the opportunity to rectify them within reasonable time. Up to today, we have not discovered child labor at any supplier. If a supplier repeatedly violates demands and does not want to implement measures required, we consider terminating the cooperation.

Independent controllers

We also conduct regular independent controls at our suppliers in accordance with the BSCI system. These controls are executed by professional auditors and the reports are placed in a joint database belonging to BSCI.