Social

Accountability
International

Human Rights at Work

Social Accountability International
• Convenes key stakeholders to
develop consensus-based
voluntary global social
standards.
• Training & technical
assistance
• Contracts with Social
Accountability Accreditation
Services (SAAS) to license
qualified organizations to
verify compliance.
www.sa-intl.org
 SA8000
Normative Documents
• Universal Declaration of
Human Rights
• Universal Convention on
the Rights of the Child

• Various ILO Conventions

Human Rights at Work

SA8000 Core Elements
• No Child Labor
• No Forced Labor
• Health & Safety
• Freedom of Association
• Freedom from Discrimination
• Disciplinary Practices Restricted
• Work Hours
• Compensation to Meet Basic
Needs
• Management System for
Continuous Improvement.
• See standard at www.SA8000.org

Human Rights at Work

 SA8000
MANAGING CONFORMANCE

Overtime Hours Suppliers not

exceeding limit conforming to
requirements

Health & safety Supervisory

concerns – use excesses on floor
of protective
Plan, Do, Check, Act Model
gear
Discrimination

Children Wages don’t

hired in error meet BNW
 SA8000
Benefits for Employers

• Gains in quality & productivity.

• Higher employee retention.
• Better relations with workers,
trade unions, NGOs, customers.
• Effective management systems.
• Enhanced brand & reputation.
• Increased attractiveness to
global buyers.

Human Rights at Work

 SA8000
Benefits to Workers

• Fewer injuries & accidents.

• Adherence to labor laws.
• More awareness of labor rights.
• Enhanced opportunities to
organize.
• Higher compensation.
• Better communications with
management.

Human Rights at Work

 SA8000 Training
SAI & partners deliver training in 20
countries on five continents, in both
open enrollment & custom courses.

SAI has trained 15,000 people.

SAI offers training & technical
assistance for:
Workers
Managers
Auditors
Suppliers
Supply chain managers

Human Rights at Work

SA8000 Auditor Training
Upcoming courses:
May 7-11 den Haag, Netherlands
May 28 – June 1 Bangkok, Thailand
June 11-15 New York, USA
June 25-29 China
July 16-20 Costa Rica
TBD Kenya
September 10-14 Tokyo, Japan
October 8-12 Sofia, Bulgaria
November 12-16 Dubai/Amman,
Jordan
To register: www.sa8000.org
 SA8000 Impact
Case: Apparel Avenue
Dr. Kaewta Rohitratana, Thammasat Business School

• First in Thailand certified SA8000.

• Before: 84 hours of work/week, legal.
• After: 60 hours max., with overtime.
• Results:
– Productivity up through redesigned work
space.
– Retention up.
– Absenteeism down.
– Overtime down by 28%.
– Volume up.

Human Rights at Work

Glass Factory: Vietnam, 2003
 SA8000 Impact:
Training & Technical Assistance
Working with SAI Globally
• Coop Italia (Italy)
• Tata Industries (India)
• TNT (Netherlands)
• BSCI [Project of FTA of Europe, 60+
retailers incl. Hema, Migros, WE Europe, Coop
Swiss, Ahold, Metro]
• Chiquita (USA)
• Solidaridad (Netherlands)
• Tchibo (Germany)
• Toys R Us (USA)
• Otto Versand (Germany)
• Gap Inc. (USA)
Human Rights at Work
 Corporate Involvement
Program (CIP)
• CIP Explorers :
• Assess SA8000 as your workplace standard;
• Train in SA8000.
• Define implementation plan for self &/or supply
chain.
• Participate in SAI pilots, partnerships.
• Share learning & experiences.
• CIP Signatories
• Commit to SA8000
• Implement stepwise development approach.
• Multi-stakeholder evaluation, confidential.
• Participate in SAI pilots, partnerships.
• Share learning & experiences

Human Rights at Work

 Vision: Attain Critical Mass, Growth:
2006 Goal #2: Attain Critical Mass: # Certified Facilities

1600
December 31, 2006: 1400
1200
• 1,200 facilities certified. 1000
800
600
• 627,000 employees.
400
200
• 67 business sectors. 0

2006 Goal
2007 Goal
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006 June 30
• 59 Countries
 Goal #2: Attain Critical Mass
Business Services Computer Services
Employees by
Engineering / Packaging Sporting Goods Appliances Industry, 12.31.06
Development Cosmetics
Lighting Paper Products

Social Services Tobacco Financial Services

Toys
Industrial Equipment
Apparel
Plastics Food Service
Building Materials
Accessories
Automotive

Information Technology
Construction

Medical / Pharmaceutical

Metal Products Agriculture

Chemicals

Energy

Metals & Mining

Textiles
Food

Transportation Footwear
Metals
Other Cleaning Services
Electronics
Supply Chain
Public/Private Partnerships
SAI & our partners provide worker training,
manager training, joint worker-manager training,
& technical assistance as part of our
public/private partnership programs in:

• Vietnam
• Central America (Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic)
• New York City
• China
• Turkey
• European Union (Spain, Italy, Netherlands)
• Brazil & India in development

Human Rights at Work

 Continuous Improvement in the
Central American Workplace
(CIMCAW)

• Context
– End of the Multi Fiber Arrangement
– Central American Free Trade Agreement
(CAFTA)
• Purpose: Improve competitiveness of
Central American garment manufacturing
by improving labor standards

Human Rights at Work

CIMCAW Approach: Improvement
in labor standards is strategic.
• Competitiveness cannot be based solely on costs.
• Access to the market requires decent working
conditions.
• Consumers and buyers require it.
• National and international labor law require it.
• Benefits for factories: rapid response, increase in
productivity, lower turnover, etc.)

Human Rights at Work

 CIMCAW
Activities: Countries:

• Joint manager-worker • Guatemala

training • Nicaragua
• Training in social • Honduras
auditing • El Salvador
• Training labor inspectors • Costa Rica
• Technical assistance • Dominican Republic
• Fomenting social
dialogue
 CIMCAW Alliance
• Brands: Gap Inc., The Limited, Timberland
• Social Accountability International
• Development Alternatives, Inc.
• International Textile, Garment and Leather
Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) & locals
• COVERCO, CIPAF & other local NGOs
• Local industry associations & manufacturers
• Financed by USAID & brands
Public/Private Partnership in China
• Qualified local trainers.
• Trained 4,200 workers &
managers in 5 factories.
• Elections held for worker reps.
• Significant improvements
included:
– Food quality up, new cafeteria built
(CNY 500,000), fines & morning
drills eliminated, hours below 50
hours/week for first time,
entertainment center, wage
increases, cooling system (CNY
200,000), job tenure up++.
– On average, 50% worker concerns
addressed.
– Retention up sharply despite
tighter job market in sector/region.
 Progress Observed: Case of ChaiDa

Annual Turnover & Job Tenure

25.00

Average Job Tenure

(months) 20
20.00
19.05%
19.35

15.00
14%

12.6

10.00

5.00 Annual Turnover 5%

0.00
2003 2004 2005 (JAN-JULY)
 NYC Factory of the Future:
Social Compliance Productivity

Raising productivity, stabilizing demand, improved

workplace
• Improving productivity results in:

Fewer overtime hours

Lower overhead costs

Lower production costs per piece
• Reduced worker turnover and increased capacity and profit

• Allows more resources to be diverted to making

improvements

• Company becoming a reliable employer, maintaining ethical,

competitive business
 NYC Factory of the Future:
Social Compliance Productivity

Core goal: improve workers lives through

– increased stability of their
jobs
– greater prospects of work in
the industry, including
opportunities for
advancement
Factories become
1. More efficient producers;
2. More reliable suppliers; and
3. More stable employers
Factory of the Future:
New Alliances, New Solutions
Partners:
– GIDC (union/industry partnership), local
skills training
– Systain, international factory productivity
– SAI, social compliance through
management systems
– Eileen Fisher, Gap Inc, factories

NYC
garments
www.sa-intl.org