ETHICAL TRADE  - ETI BASE CODE 

 

Employment is freely chosen

1.1 There is no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour.

1.2 Workers are not required to lodge “deposits” or their

identity papers with their employer and are free to leave

their employer after reasonable notice.

 

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.

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.

 

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 minimising, 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.

​

​

Child labour shall not be used

4.1 There shall be no new 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.

 

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 expressed permission of the worker concerned. All

disciplinary measures should be recorded.

 

Working hours are not excessive

6.1 Working hours must comply with national laws, collective

agreements, and the provisions of 6.2 to 6.6 below, whichever

affords the greater protection for workers. Sub-clauses 6.2

to 6.6 are based on international labour standards.

6.2 Working hours, excluding overtime, shall be defined by

contract, and shall not exceed 48 hours per week.*

6.3 All overtime shall be voluntary. Overtime shall be used

responsibly, taking into account all the following: the

extent, frequency and hours worked by individual workers

and the workforce as a whole. It shall not be used to

replace regular employment. Overtime shall always be

compensated at a premium rate, which is recommended

to be not less than 125% of the regular rate of pay.

6.4 The total hours worked in any seven day period shall not

exceed 60 hours, except where covered by clause 6.5 below.

6.5 Working hours may exceed 60 hours in any seven day

period only in exceptional circumstances where all of the

​

following are met:

• this is allowed by national law;

• this is allowed by a collective agreement freely

negotiated with a workers’ organisation representing a

significant portion of the workforce;

• appropriate safeguards are taken to protect the workers’

health and safety; and

• the employer can demonstrate that exceptional

circumstances apply such as unexpected production

peaks, accidents or emergencies.

6.6 Workers shall be provided with at least one day off in

every seven day period or, where allowed by national law,

two days off in every 14 day period.

 

No discrimination is practiced

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.

 

Regular employment is provided

8.1 To every extent possible work performed must be on the

basis of 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 homeworking

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.

​

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.

The provisions of this code constitute minimum and not

maximum standards, and this code should not be used

to prevent companies from exceeding these standards.

Companies applying this code are expected to comply with

national and other applicable law and, where the provisions

of law and this Base Code address the same subject, to

apply that provision which affords the greater protection.

Note: We make every effort to ensure that the translations

of the ETI Base Code and Principles of Implementation

are as complete and accurate as possible. However,

please note that in both cases it is the English language

documents which should be treated as the official versions.

​

With respect to human rights the most

comprehensive standard is the United

Nations Universal Declaration of Human

Rights.

A further relevant standard ratified by

almost every member state in the United

Nations is the United Nations Convention

on the Rights of the Child.

Responsibility for setting international

labour standards is given by the

international community to the

International Labour Organisation (ILO)

which was established for this purpose.

The most comprehensive and universally

applicable standard directly addressing

the responsibilities of business operating

internationally is the ILO’s Tripartite

Declaration of Principles concerning

Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy.

The tripartite structure of the ILO,

involving both employers’ and workers’

representatives as well as governments,

together with the technical expertise of

this organisation in all matters relating

to the world of work, make the ILO the

authoritative and legitimate source

of international labour standards. ILO

standards are set in Conventions, having

the force of international law and binding

for states that have ratified them and

in Recommendations which provide

additional guidance to governments.

ILO member states must provide regular

reports on the application of ratified

Conventions to the ILO. The findings of ILO

supervisory bodies form ILO jurisprudence.

With the adoption in June 1998 of the

ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles

and Rights at Work all 174 ILO member

states have an obligation, regardless

of ratification, to respect, promote

and realise the principles contained in

the core ILO Conventions. These core

Conventions and their accompanying

Recommendations comprise:

• ILO Conventions 29 and 105 &

Recommendation 35 (Forced and

Bonded Labour)

• ILO Convention 87 (Freedom of

Association)

• ILO Convention 98 (Right to Organise

and Collective Bargaining)

• ILO Conventions 100 and 111 &

Recommendations 90 and 111 (Equal

Remuneration for male and female

workers for work of equal value;

Discrimination in employment and

occupation)

• ILO Convention 138 & Recommendation

146 (Minimum Age).

• ILO Convention 182 & Recommendation

190 (Worst forms of Child Labour).

• ILO Convention 81 (Labour Inspection)

• ILO Convention 122 (Employment

Policy)

​

Although not core ILO conventions, other

ILO standards especially relevant to the

work of ETI include:

• ILO Convention 135 & Recommendation

143 (Workers’ Representatives

Convention)

• ILO Convention 155 & Recommendation

164 (Occupational Safety & Health)

• ILO Convention 159 & Recommendation

168 (Vocation Rehabilitation &

Employment/Disabled Persons)

• ILO Convention 177 & Recommendation

184 (Home Work).

• ILO Convention 190 &

Recommendations (Safety and Health in

Agriculture)

• ILO Convention 154 (Collective

Bargaining)

• ILO Convention 131 (Minimum Wage

Fixing)

• ILO Convention 175 (Part time work)

• ILO Convention 183 (Maternity

Protection)

 Another comprehensive standard

addressing the responsibilities of

business operating internationally, and

one that is applicable to all businesses

operating internationally in or from the

United Kingdom, is the Guidelines for

Multinational Enterprises developed by the

Organisation for Economic Co-operation

and Development (OECD).

Appendix B: Definitions

Child: Every boy and girl under the age

of 18. The UN Convention on the Rights

of the Child (1989) says: “For the purpose

of this present Convention, a child means

every human being below the age of 18

years unless, under the law applicable

to the child, majority is attained earlier”

(article 1). In Spanish-speaking countries

in Latin America, it is usual practice to

distinguish between the boys and girls,

on the one hand, and older adolescents,

on the other, thereby recognising that

adolescents are more mature and can take

on more responsibilities than younger

children.

Young Person: Any worker over the age

of a child as defined above and under the

age of 18.

Adolescent: A child between the age of

10 and 17. In addition, 17-19 year olds are

also referred to as ‘young adults’.

Child labour: Work which, by its nature

or the circumstances in which it is carried

out, is likely to harm the health, safety or

morals of children.

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

At ZEMETA we determine where all the material goods were purchased and the matter which they were made. We have knowledge of the suppliers workplace principles. 

 

Our definition of sustainability is to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 

 

• Business is conducted lawfully and with integrity

• Work is conducted on the basis of freely agreed and

• documented terms of employment

• All workers are treated equally and with respect and dignity

• Work is conducted on a voluntary basis

• All workers are of an appropriate age

• All workers are paid fair wages

• Working hours for all workers are reasonable

• All workers are free to exercise their right to form and/or

• join trade unions or to refrain from doing so and to bargain

• collectively

• Workers’ health and safety are protected at work

• Workers have access to fair procedures and remedies

• Land rights of communities, including indigenous peoples,

• will be protected and promoted

• Business is conducted in a manner which embraces

• sustainability and reduces environmental impact

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

ZEMETA is a curelty free brand we make sure we do not use any of ingredients or components derived from animals. 

 

-Freedom from hunger and thirst; ​

-Freedom from discomfort;​

-Freedom from pain, injury and disease;​

-Freedom to express normal behaviour;​

-Freedom from fear and distress.​

​

 

When use of synthetic materials made to look like animal products we will be clearly labelled as faux on the
product description and care label to avoid confusion.