At DistIT AB (publ.) and its subsidiaries, quality does not just mean that our products meet or exceed customer expectations. It also means that production will take place under good conditions and that our customers will be satisfied with us as a company. Assuming responsibility for how humans and the environment are affected by our activities is also an important prerequisite in order for all of our subsidiaries to be able to grow with continued good profitability. Here we explain how we achieve this.
Our code of conduct
Purpose
The purpose of this code of conduct is to create a common set of values to work by in conjunction with our suppliers.
DistIT AB (publ.) is a Swedish parent company that aims to acquire, own and develop niche distributors in IT, mobility, consumer home electronics, networking and data communications primarily within the Nordic and Baltic countries.DistIT Group companies will deliver both B2B and B2C products for the IT market in the Nordic region and the surrounding area.
Our customers have high demands and we know that these also include us as a company assuming our full responsibility.
Long-term relationships with stakeholders, good work methods and practices and high standards of business ethics and morals are key success factors for sustained growth and sustainability
The DistIT Code of Conduct is based on the United Nations declaration on Human Rights of 1948, the UN Convention on Children’s Rights, the International Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights of 1966, the ILO (International Labour Organisation) conventions and the other current and relevant international standards concerning human rights and labor.
Factory visits should be carried out on a regular basis by both our staff and also by independent third parties. Suppliers are responsible for ensuring that this Code of Conduct is implemented in their business activities. Our suppliers are also required to ensure that all their suppliers, subcontractors, manufacturers and business partners involved in the production of goods and services on behalf of companies in the DistIT Group fully comply with this policy. In addition to the DistIT Code of Conduct, suppliers must comply with national laws and regulations.
Our requirements for suppliers:
1. Legal Requirements
All suppliers shall conduct their business in full compliance with the applicable laws and regulations of the European Union, all countries in which suppliers operate and all other applicable laws. Suppliers shall comply with all applicable international laws, rules and regulations regarding the compliance of trade in products and services and their delivery.
2. Management system
The Supplier shall define and implement a policy of social responsibility (CSR), including policies on child labour, forced labour, discrimination, mistreatment, bribery and corruption, and complaints procedures. The CSR policy must be communicated and accessible to all employees.
The Supplier is responsible for proper implementation and continuous improvement by taking corrective actions and regular review of this Code of Conduct, as well as communicating the requirements of the Code of Conduct to all employees.
The Supplier shall have procedures in place to identify, understand and apply applicable laws and regulations and the requirements of this Code of Conduct and maintain documentation to ensure regulatory compliance.
The supplier must have procedures in place to rectify any deficiencies or deviations identified through an audit, evaluation, inspection, investigation or review in a timely manner.
The Supplier shall refrain from penalising, dismissing or discriminating against any employee for providing information on compliance with this Code of Conduct.
When allocating work tasks, special consideration shall be given to the age of the employee to not risk causing injuries, risk safety or morals.
3. Trust and cooperation
The supplier shall map the supply chain and assess where the risks of breach of any of the fundamental principles described in this document lie and take appropriate action to remedy them. This assessment shall be updated continuously.
It is understandable that some shortcomings take time to remedy, as the underlying causes may be based on parts of the local community. We believe in collaboration and are willing to work with our suppliers, authorities, trade unions and industry associations to find realistic solutions in each case.
Employment, financial compensation, benefits, promotion, etc. shall only be based on relevant and objective criteria.
4. Controls
Factory inspections, audits and CSR compliance surveys are carried out on a regular basis.
To ensure compliance with this Code of Conduct, the Supplier shall accept the right, including representatives of our group of companies and independent third parties, to conduct unannounced visits to any of the factories producing goods for us at any time.
5. Non-compliance
We do not accept that our suppliers:
– presents false information, verbally or in writing;
– offers or accepts bribery or is guilty of other forms of corruption;
– does not remedy deviations within the agreed timeframe without a reasonable explanation;
– or otherwise demonstrates that the Code of Conduct is not respected.
All of the above points are sufficient reasons to terminate the business relationship with suppliers.
Conditions in the workplace
1. Volunteering
Suppliers can only use volunteering. They must not engage in any form of human trafficking or use any type of forced labour, including slavery, prison labour or other forms of involuntary labour. Involuntary labour also includes the transfer, harbouring, recruitment, assignment of contracts, receiving or employing persons by means of threats, violence, coercion, abduction, fraud or payments to a person who has control over other persons for the purpose of exploiting them.
All work must be voluntary and workers must be free to leave work at any time or terminate their employment. Suppliers may not require workers to surrender their identification, passport or other travel document or work permit as a condition of employment or for any other reason. Suppliers must also not impose unreasonable restrictions on mobility in the workplace or when workers enter or leave the workplace.
Suppliers shall ensure that recruitment agencies used to recruit staff comply with the provisions of this Code of Conduct and also other applicable laws.
2. Child labour
“Child” means any person who is under 15 years of age, or below the minimum age to complete the legally compulsory education in any country, or below the minimum age to be legally employed in any country, whichever is older.
Suppliers are not allowed to use child labour. The use of legitimate apprenticeship programs in workplaces, which comply with all laws and regulations, is supported.
Workers under the age of 18 are not allowed to perform work that is likely to endanger the health, safety or morale of young workers.
Suppliers should not require young workers to work overtime or perform night work.
Suppliers shall also comply with all other applicable laws and regulations regarding the employment of minors.
3. The right to organize
Workers shall have the full right to join a trade union or to organize themselves in other ways in order to bargain collectively without the intervention of the employer.
The provider must not discriminate against trade union representatives or prevent them from carrying out trade union work or restrict their access to their members in the workplace.
In cases where unions are not allowed, or only state unions are available, the supplier should facilitate the workers to organize to discuss work-related problems and opportunities.
4. Non-Discrimination
Suppliers shall not engage in or support discrimination based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, political opinion, caste, sexual orientation or other characteristics.
Employment, remuneration, benefits, promotion, etc. shall be based solely on relevant and objective criteria
Measures must be taken to protect employees from sexually intrusive, threatening, insulting or exploitative behaviour and from discrimination or termination of employment on unjust grounds, such as marriage, pregnancy, parenthood or HIV status.
All employees with the same experience and qualifications should receive equal pay for equal work. Salaries must reflect the level of education and skills.
5. Personal integrity
Mental or physical abuse, corporal punishment or threats of such abuse are prohibited. The same applies to sexual abuse and all forms of humiliation.
All disciplinary procedures must be established in writing and must be explained orally to the workers in clear and understandable terms.
The collection and maintenance of information from subcontractors, customers and employees should be done with care to prevent unauthorized disclosure or damage. Personal information must always be handled with respect for personal integrity.
The work environment must offer satisfactory personal integrity. The solutions can vary, but an example can be lockers for personal belongings and separate hygiene facilities for men and women. There should also be a private area such as a rest room that can be used by employees if needed.
6. Health and safety
The working environment must be safe and promote good health, taking into account industry standards and their associated hazards.
A clear set of regulations and rules must be established and complied with in terms of occupational health and safety, fire protection and preparedness. A management representative responsible for the health and safety of all employees shall be appointed. Procedures for detecting, avoiding or dealing with any threats to the health and safety of all employees shall be established.
Health and safety work must be carried out in cooperation between management and employee representatives in order to achieve a long-term and safe workplace.
All employees must receive regular and documented health and safety training. Such training must be repeated for new and reassigned employees.
Employees must have access to clean sanitary facilities and clean drinking water. If necessary, the supplier shall also ensure access to facilities for safe cooking. Special protection and a safe working environment must be available for vulnerable individuals, such as young or pregnant workers.
If necessary, effective personal protective equipment shall be provided to all employees free of charge.
The supplier must register and document all accidents and injuries that affect the employees. In the event of an accident or injury, the supplier shall ensure the best possible protection for the employees, including the provision of mandatory insurance programmes. All employees should have the right to leave the workplace without asking for permission in the event of immediate danger. The above shall also apply to seasonal workers, subcontracted workers and migrant workers.
The provider must ensure that adequate medical assistance such as first aid, first aid personnel, or access to a nurse or doctor is available at the workplace.
If the supplier provides accommodation, it must be clean, safe, adequately ventilated and have access to clean sanitary facilities and clean drinking water. Drawings for fire safety and emergency evacuation in dormitories must be of the same standard as in the work environment.
7. Compensation
Workers should have the right to receive fair compensation and lawful benefits that are sufficient to provide them with a decent standard of living for themselves and their families. The level of pay shall at least be in line with the wage under minimum wage laws or approved industry standards based on collective bargaining, whichever is higher.
Overtime work shall be compensated at a premium rate under national law or at least 1.25 times the regular remuneration, whichever is higher.
Wages, as well as the model for how and when the salary is to be paid, must be agreed in writing before the work begins. The contract must be understandable to the employee.
Salaries must be paid on time, regularly and in a legal currency. The salary level must reflect the skills and education of the employees and refer to regular working hours.
It is unacceptable to use salary deductions as a disciplinary measure. Deductions will only be allowed under the conditions and to the extent prescribed by law or established by collective agreements.
It is unacceptable to use salary deductions as a disciplinary measure. Deductions will only be allowed under the conditions and to the extent prescribed by law or established by collective agreements.
8. Working hours
Suppliers must ensure that workers are not required to work more than 48 regular hours per week. Applicable national laws, industrial standards or collective agreements shall be interpreted within the international framework of the ILO.
Exceptions to the above weekly working hours are only allowed if these are in line with the exceptions set out by the ILO. In the event of exceptional work pressure, the maximum additional hours shall in each case be determined only after consultation with the employers’ and affected workers’ organisations.
Overtime must be voluntary and is intended to be exceptional and must not constitute a significantly higher probability of occupational risks.
Employees shall be granted the right to rest every working day and the right to at least one day off every seven days, unless exceptions are defined in collective agreements. Public holidays must be in accordance with national legislation or industrial standards.
9. Regular employment
Obligations to employees in accordance with international conventions and/or national legislation and regulations on regular employment shall not be avoided by using short-term contracts (e.g. contract work, temporary work or day work), subcontractors or other labour relations.
All employees are entitled to their own copy of the employment contract, which must be written in a language they understand.
The duration and content of apprenticeship programmes shall be clearly defined.
Suppliers shall pay particular attention to employees who have children and in particular seasonal and migrant workers with children who live far away from them, so that these workers can combine work with parenthood.
Relationship outside the workplace
1. Use of resources and impact on the local community
The supplier shall assess its significant impact on the environment and the local community in order to take the necessary measures to minimise its negative effects on natural resources, the local community and the environment.
No form of environmental crime or ruthless exploitation of resources is allowed in the local environment.
The environment in factories and workplaces must not be exploited or degraded by pollution. Hazardous chemicals and other harmful substances must be handled carefully.
In the event of a conflict with local communities over the use of land or other natural resources, the Parties shall secure through negotiation individual and collective rights to land and other resources based on common custom or tradition, even where such rights have not been formally registered.
The production and extraction of raw materials for manufacturing shall not contribute to the destruction of the resource and income base of marginalised communities, for example by claiming large areas of land or other natural resources on which such communities depend.
2. Environmental legislation and regulations Production
must not be in conflict with national and international environmental legislation or regulations. The requirements of the global treaty CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) must be respected.
The necessary emission and discharge permits must be obtained if necessary. Procedures and standards for waste management, for the handling and disposal of chemicals and other hazardous substances, and for air pollution and waste water shall be established in accordance with legislation.
br>Environmental aspects shall be taken into account throughout the production and distribution chain, from the production of raw materials to the sale of end-user products, and shall not be limited to the supplier’s own operations and subcontractors. Local, regional and global environmental issues should be taken into account as far as possible.
3. Animal welfare
Animal welfare shall cater to the entire supply chain in the production of products of animal origin. The animals must be handled at least in accordance with the applicable national legislation on animal welfare.
The animals must be healthy, receive good care and have a good living environment. Medical treatment should be provided in case of illness and with a limiting and healthy use of antibiotics.
The five fundamental rights of animals adopted by the FAWL (Farm Animal Welfare Council) are essential and animals should have the right to at least:
– Freedom from hunger or thirst.– Freedom from discomfort.– Freedom from pain, injury or disease.– Freedom to express normal behaviour– Freedom from fear and distress
In addition, all animals must be stunned before slaughter.
Ethical Business Practices
1. Bribery and corruption
The supplier must establish and comply with a policy against bribery and corruption in all its business activities.
Employees (including managers) may not directly or indirectly offer, promise, demand or accept illegal and unlawful gifts of money or other forms of compensation in order to obtain commercial advantages or benefits, even if these are of seemingly insignificant value. This also includes invitations, travel, or attending events with suppliers or business contacts without the approval of the immediate manager.
The supplier must be transparent and always be able to disclose the supply chain as far as possible. Misleading or false information will not be accepted.
2. Intellectual property
rights Suppliers must respect intellectual property rights and protect customers’ information. The transfer of technology and knowledge shall be carried out in a manner that protects intellectual property rights and in accordance with the strictest information protection requirements under applicable agreements.
The supplier must implement processes and procedures to detect and avoid counterfeiting and other infringements of intellectual property rights.
3. Responsible use of minerals
The supplier shall exercise due diligence in accordance with the principles set out in the “EU Regulation (EU) 2017/821” – setting out the supply chain obligation for imports into the EU of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores and gold originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
In addition, the supplier shall ensure that none of the delivered products contain metals or minerals originating in or having been transported through conflict-affected and high-risk areas as defined below:
State of Armed Conflict
Armed conflict, widespread violence or other risks that can harm people are described in international humanitarian law, which governs the conduct of an armed conflict between warring parties. Armed conflict can take a variety of forms, such as a conflict of an international or non-international nature that can involve two or more states but can also consist of wars of independence, insurrections, civil wars, etc. Specific instructions on ” state of armed conflict ” are explained in the Geneva Convention of 1949 and include all cases of declared war or any other armed conflict that may arise between two or more parties. This applies even if the war is not recognized by either party and all cases of incomplete or total occupation of the territory of a party, as well as if the said occupation is not met with armed resistance. However, in accordance with Protocol II (1977) Supplement to the Geneva Convention of 1949, the above does not apply to situations of internal disturbances and tensions such as riots, occasional and sporadic acts of violence and other similar acts.
War-torn areas post-conflict
War-torn areas are areas of weak or non-existent state governance and security, together with extensive and systematic violations of international law, including human rights violations. Post-conflict war-affected areas are areas that are witnessing the cessation of active hostilities and are in a fragile state, which means that the region or state has a weak ability to perform basic governance functions and lacks the ability to develop mutually constructive relations in society due to the previous state of conflict. Such areas are more vulnerable to internal or external shocks such as economic crises or natural disasters. In such areas, i.e. areas that witness weak or non-existent governance and security, economic actors need to be aware that there is either an institutional weakness or a lack of governance where large-scale systematic violations of international law and human rights violations occur, and thus determine that the area is conflict-affected and a high-risk area. This is a condition for violations of international law that are essential for post-conflict war-torn areas and areas witnessing weak or non-existent governance and security. In the latter, for example, the absence of a formal mining licensing procedure would constitute evidence of a lack of governance.
The declaration
of “cessation of the state” is a situation of extreme institutional weakness. The “disappearance of the state” means a vacuum of state authority, a collapse of law and order, and the absence of institutions that can represent the state.
Download PDF document here: Sustainable Developement Policy