All Woolworths suppliers, both local and international, are bound by the Supplier Code of Business Principles which requires conformance to the highest legal and ethical standards and environmental practices. Our business partners are also required to ensure that this code is applied in respect of subcontracting or secondary supplier arrangements and compliance with the code is monitored through a formal auditing process.
The code covers the following:
- child labour;
- forced labour;
- health and safety;
- wages, hours of work and entitlements;
- discrimination;
- freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining;
- harsh or cruel treatment; and
- environment.
The code is being re-evaluated at present to ensure that it meets the current needs of the business and reflects the key sustainability issues in the supplier network.
Both food and textile factories are audited, corrective action is taken and progress is monitored. A web-based system allows for the results of all audits to be viewed online, with suppliers having a password access to their own audit results. In addition, rigorous food hygiene and safety audits are carried out on all our food suppliers.
Sourcing strategies are, we believe, fundamentally in line with the Fair-trade™ principles.
The development of the Fair-trade™ accredited product set is being monitored closely and the value of adding suitably accredited products to the Woolworths product portfolio will be continually evaluated.
Preferential procurement is a priority and Woolworths is committed to BEE supplier partners providing core product for the company over time.
Supporting the preferential procurement focus is an equal commitment to partnering with potential BEE suppliers, supporting enterprise development initiatives. Teams have been set up who are devoted to working more closely with emerging suppliers, further driving the commitment to supporting South African businesses first.