Ethical Policy

Main Man Supplies Ethical Trading Policy 2019
(for review October 2020)

 

All our suppliers shall comply with all laws applicable to their business. All our suppliers are expected to adhere to the principles
of the United Nations Global Compact, UN Declaration of Human Rights as well as the 1998 International Labour Organization’s
“Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work” in accordance with national law and practice. 

Main Man Supplies is committed to trading relationships which are both commercially viable and ethical. We will support fair
trade and only operate with manufacturers and Sub-contractors who comply with our ethical trading policy. We will appraise
these suppliers against the standards below:-

This policy sets out the minimum labour standards that we expect our suppliers to comply with:

1)-Child labour is not used

2)-There is no forced labour

3)-No racial or sexual discrimination is practiced

4)-Working hours comply with local national standards

5)-Wages meet the minimum local national standards

6)-Human and civil rights are respected

7) Bribery either to customers or from suppliers is not acceptable

 

1) Child labour  
A child is defined as any person less than 15 years of age unless local minimum wage law stipulates a higher age for work
or mandatory schooling, in which case the higher age applies. If local minimum age law is set at 14 years of age in accordance
with developing country exceptions under ILO Convention138, the lower will apply.

Children may only be employed in circumstances which fully safeguard them from potential exploitation, which protect them
from moral or physical hazard and long term damage to health and which do not disrupt their education.

2) Forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour 
Any work or service that is extracted from any person under the threat of a penalty or where they have not entered voluntarily into
an employment contract. Examples include slave or indentured labour, bonded labour, involuntary labour, involuntary or unpaid
prison labour. Workers should not be required to lodge "deposits" or their identity papers with their employer and are free to leave
their employer after reasonable notice.

3) Discrimination
Discrimination is treating a worker/prospective worker less favorably than any other worker/prospective worker in relation to hiring,
compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement on the grounds of their race, caste, national origin, religion,
disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership political affiliation or age.

4) Working Hours
Working hours must comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection. Workers
should not be required to work more than 48 hours per week (or less in accordance with local/national laws); should not work more
than 12 hours of voluntary overtime; and should get 1 day off in 7. Overtime should not be demanded on a regular basis and should
always be compensated at a premium rate. Where the company is party to a collective bargaining agreement freely negotiated with
worker organizations it may require overtime work in accordance with the agreement to meet short term demand.

5) Remuneration
Workers should be paid at least the national/local minimum wage for a basic working week and this should be sufficient to cover basic
needs and allow some discretionary income. All workers should be provided with written and understandable Information about their
pay before they start employment and should be given a pay slip or other understandable information about their wages for the pay
period concerned each time that they are paid.

6) Human and civil rights. 
Workers are free to join a trade union of their choice and to bargain collectively on wages, benefits and working conditions without fear
of harassment or intimidation. Workers’ representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative
functions in the workplace. 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.  Unacceptable
disciplinary practices such as those based on corporal punishment, physical or mental coercion, verbal abuse or deducting money from
wages due to a worker will not be tolerated in any form. Workers will be free from abuse, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other
harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation are not allowed.

7) Bribery
Bribery is the practice of offering something (money, gifts, hospitality or services) in return for or in expectation of more favorable treatment.

HELPING TO PROTECT PEOPLE SINCE 1989