The Hisense Europe Group has obtained the SA8000 social responsibility standard for the companies Gorenje, Mora Moravia in the Czech Republic and Gorenje Valjevo in Serbia. This confirms and further enhances the group's commitment to the highest international standards in the field of labor rights and ethical labor management, while at the same time committing to continuous progress.
The SA8000 international social responsibility standard sets out the requirements that organizations must meet to establish or improve labor rights, working conditions and an effective management system. It is based on the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions and other international norms on human rights and labor, as well as national labor legislation. 4,000 companies worldwide can boast of the certificate, nine in Slovenia, of which only three are large.
Although European legislation already provides a high level of employee protection, the SA8000 certificate brings external confirmation and an upgrade, as it involves a systematic and independent assessment of a company in many areas of respect for human rights and working conditions in companies. Employee protection is no longer just an internal commitment of the company, but is assessed by external assessors. Particular attention is paid to strengthening social dialogue, a high level of occupational health and safety, safe complaint mechanisms, transparent and fair relations in the workplace, employee involvement in decision-making and due diligence of the supply chain. This also includes an assessment of labor rights at key suppliers, thus introducing a systematic due diligence in the field of social responsibility throughout the value chain. This ensures that respect for rights is not limited to our companies, but also extends to partners and suppliers.
At the award ceremony, Tomaž Korošec, Executive Vice President of Hisense Europe, said: “By establishing the SA8000 standard, Gorenje is building on its commitment to excellence, not only in the area of products and processes, but also in the treatment of employees. The certificate confirms that we also devote the same care and responsibility that we invest in the quality of our products to respecting human rights, decent work and an inclusive working environment. It is important that we transfer this responsibility from the company to our supply chain. In this way, we establish high standards of cooperation with partners who share our values and contribute to a more responsible economy.”
“The SA8000 standard is also a special recognition for the HR area, as it means that HR processes are established at a high level, and at the same time it is an additional responsibility for all of us, which obliges us to both meet the requirements and to continuously improve our support systems and processes,” emphasizes Miha Žove, Director of Corporate HR at Hisense Europe.
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President of the SKEI Gorenje Trade Union Conference, Žan Zeba, highlighted the importance of the SA8000 certificate in the light of maintaining and strengthening social dialogue. "This is an external confirmation and an internal commitment that in the trade union, in dialogue with the company, we persistently ensure the highest possible standards of labor rights and the best possible working conditions for all employees, both for production and overhead employees. We are pleased that we have met the strict criteria for obtaining SA8000, and we must all work together to periodically confirm and maintain it."