Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a vital part of our DNA. As an expert in workwear, we invest in our CSR policy every day, focusing on 5 pillars. As part of our production pillar, we aim to keep our supply chain eco-friendly and create a great work environment for all our workers.
In order to achieve our goal, we rely on the guidelines of the Fair Wear Foundation. But what do those entail? How did we become a member during a global pandemic, when conditions for many workers were often dire? And how do we plan on maintaining our membership? Read all about it in this article.
The Fair Wear Foundation aims to create a work environment for all workers in the garment industry that provides them with safe employment, living wages and a place to work with dignity. In order to create that environment, the Foundation ensures that member companies adhere to their high standards. The members are evaluated yearly through a Brand Performance Check.
The Brand Performance Check evaluates how well a member’s garment supply chain is aligned with the Foundation’s Code of Labour Practices (CoLP). Furthermore, the check focuses on the efforts a company makes to comply with the CoLP. This year, Van Heurck had its first check.
The production process is the part where garment manufacturers such as Van Heurck rely on their workers the most. Therefore, it’s the perfect place to influence the working conditions of a big part of our employees.
To improve our workers’ conditions, we’ve already made significant efforts to comply with the Foundation’s CoLP and will continue to do so in the future. In addition to that, we focus on the environmental impact of our production process by ensuring that it adheres to the most recent ecological standards.
Our efforts to create a fair and eco-friendly production process did not go unnoticed. Van Heurck scored a 93, meaning we can now call ourselves a Fair Wear Leader. According to the FWF, we’ve made a noticeable effort to adhere to the CoLP. Here are some of the things we did in order to help the Fair Wear Foundation in its fight for a fair garment industry:
Even during a global crisis, we were able to keep in contact with our branch in Tunisia. We ensured that our workers received the necessary test kits and information to stay healthy. Also, we implemented several safety measures in Belgium and in Tunisia that complied with the local COVID-19 restrictions and regulations.
However, we were lucky. We were able to continue our operations because of remote work and our target audiences, many of which were a part of the essential workforce.
Another important part of our Fair Wear Foundation membership is the well-being of our workers. That’s why we execute thorough human rights checks before we work with a new partner. Moreover, we attempt to influence our manufacturers and suppliers to always provide working conditions and wages that are up to par.
Would you like to read more about our activities to help our planet and the community? Read the entire Fear Wear Foundation report or visit our blog to learn how a manufacturer such as Van Heurck is able to maintain a CO2-neutral label. Or, if you’d like to talk to us about our CSR policy, feel free to contact us. We’d love to chat.