Social responsibility of International standard system (Social Accountability 8000 International standard, SA8000 for short) is a kind of based on the charter of the International Labour organization (ILO charter), the United Nations convention on the rights of children, the universal declaration of human rights, labor in order to protect the environment and conditions, labor rights, etc as the main content of management standard system.
In 1997, is headquartered in the United States the Social responsibility of International organization (SC1: Social Accountability International) initiated and Europe and the United States multinational companies and other International organizations, joint developed SA8000 Social responsibility of International standards, it is the world's first International standard code of ethics. The aim is to ensure that the supplier supplies products, accord with the requirement of the social responsibility standard. SA8000 standard used around the world, any industry, different scale of the company. Its basis and ISO9001 quality management system and ISO14001 environmental management system, is a set can be the third party certification bodies audit of the international standard.
SA8000 promulgated after, in the international community, especially the western developed countries quickly gained wide support. - some big sales are trying to encourage the implementation of this standard, the internationally renowned Certification body, such as Bureau Veritas Certification (BVQi), SGS, DNV, UL, etc., apply to the CEPAA, formally carry out SA8000 Certification business.
Certified company will get the certificate, and shall have the right to the company brochure and company letterhead printed on the certification body certification marks and CEPAA marks. In addition, they also can get the SA8000 certificate copy for promotion. One of the leading enterprises in Europe on the implementation of SA8000, followed by the United States. Europe and America region of the purchaser for the standard has been quite familiar with. There is big global sourcing group very favour SA8000 authentication enterprise products, forcing many businesses invest huge human, material and financial resources to apply for and maintain a certification system, which will no doubt greatly increase to participate in the certification of the company's operating costs. Particularly in developing countries, the comparative advantage of labor cost though is the biggest, but the international certification of social barriers greatly weakened the comparative advantage in labor cost in developing countries.
SA8000 as a social responsibility of a certification system, not only clear the social responsibility standard, and it also puts forward the corresponding management system requirements. Combine social responsibility and enterprise management, to a certain extent can regulate organization especially the moral behavior of the enterprise, help to improve the working conditions, guarantee labor rights. Although SA8000 aim is good, but in tariff and non-tariff barriers have been commonly cut today, very easy to use by protectionists, limit the export of labor-intensive products in developing countries. In fact, some human rights groups and protectionist has teamed up with, in the name of SA8000, in developing countries textile clothing, footwear, toys and leather goods, small appliances and other industries of export restrictions in all directions. Such as foreign human-rights agencies often take this pressure in the importer, the requirements for the import SA8000 certification of products; There are some social groups are also required to limit imports amounted to less than Labour standards of enterprise products. As in our country textile clothing, toys and footwear -highly labor-intensive products in the production of power, low level of economic development, the protection of Labour has started and done a lot of work, but due to a late start, large difference with developed countries, for most enterprises, once was asked to implement SA8000, the original competitive advantage will be discounted or cease to exist.
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