We promote ethical supply chain practicesDownload pdf version
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Our human rights policy was approved by the board in 2018, and establishes the principles and responsibilities for upholding, monitoring, reviewing and reporting on human rights performance within Tiger Brands and across our supply chain. The policy has been developed to uphold the inviolable rights of people and to protect the group, its employees, assets, information, operations and reputation. It applies to all employees, temporary employees, contractors, service providers and consultants.
Our human rights policy was implemented across our operations and supply chain, and human rights awareness is a regular feature of our annual internal communications programme. Any updates resulting from the review will be similarly implemented and communicated across the organisation. Training on human rights has been included in our induction programme for new employees, and a specific human rights module will be developed for our human rights e-learning, also upon completion of the policy review. All our employees have participated in human rights training each year since 2018.
Our ethics line and whistleblowing facility, www.tip-offs.com, is open and available across our supplier network, providing a channel through which human rights abuses and any other ethical concerns can be reported directly to the company.
We assess our human rights impacts on an ongoing basis, as part of our core business processes. We are committed to disclosing our actions to prevent and mitigate any human rights issues, should an alleged case be reported through our ethics line, or a specific risk be identified during internal auditing. In 2021, no specific human rights issues were identified, and no allegations were reported through our ethics line, the media or Human Rights Watch.
In accordance with our ethical sourcing policy (see below), we request that all suppliers sign a human rights declaration, through which they acknowledge our human rights policy, pledge their commitment to uphold the principles and conditions therein, and confirm that they are not complicit in any human rights issues.
Our human rights policy is available at www.tigerbrands.com/sustainability/reporting.
ETHICAL SOURCING
The Tiger Brands ethical sourcing policy was approved by the board in 2018, and is being implemented across our supply chain. This policy addresses potential human rights concerns within our supply chain. Suppliers are required to comply with our ethical sourcing policy, and are requested to sign a commitment of compliance annually, including a signed human rights declaration in line with our human rights policy. Where deemed necessary, suppliers are audited by Tiger Brands or an external party to verify compliance. We routinely assess and select new suppliers based on their risk and performance relating to their human rights, labour relations, wage, safety, social, environmental and compliance practices.
We are committed to building an ethical and responsible supply chain by championing human rights and establishing contextually informed, fair, just and responsible sourcing practices. We currently work with our suppliers to uphold fair labour practices, tackle plastic packaging waste, promote animal welfare, and source sustainable palm-oil and cocoa. Looking forward, we aim to engage our suppliers more consistently and work together more closely to advance and assure ethical and sustainable practices in our supply chain.
We drive improvements in our approach and practice through participating in dialogues and building relationship with potential partnerships. We engage with government on key issues and legislative developments, and participate in facilitated discussions through forums created by organisations such as the National Business initiative (NBI), Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and UNICEF.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Human rights are key concerns for our business, particularly in regard to our exposure to potential risks in our supply chain. We are committed to securing and promoting human rights in our own operations, and through our supply chain, in the contexts where we operate. We believe strongly that doing so helps to foster societal conditions which are more conducive to business success and sustainability.
Human rights are issues of growing concern to business globally, with new legislation and initiatives emerging, including the UK's Modern Slavery Act, the EU Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence Directive, and the sharpened focus on human rights in the newly updated GRI Universal Standards. While the South African Constitution is strong on human rights, all of our markets in Africa are widely considered high-risk for human rights abuses. In this context, human rights is an issue of growing importance to our stakeholder's, and thus of key importance to us, and we are strengthening our human rights approach, processes and practices. Towards this, we participated in the Child Rights Governance Roundtable hosted by UNICEF earlier in the year.
