Policy on Slavery & Human Trafficking
Business Sector
Bostik is a leading global adhesive specialist in industrial manufacturing, construction and consumer markets. We produce a wide range of products systems and solutions including developing smart adhesives with safer, efficient, flexible and responsive qualities.
Bostik is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Arkema Group which has its head office in Colombes, France.
Organisational Structure
Bostik employ 4,900 people and has a presence in more than 50 countries, across 5 continents. Bostik Ltd (UK) employ 415 people.
Policy on Slavery and Human Trafficking
As part of the organisation’s induction process and throughout workers’ employment with us, we coach all associates to treat others with respect and courtesy as well as ensuring they adhere to all relevant laws, regulations and standards.
The undertaking of the induction process is part of the ongoing due diligence process. We focus on ensuring our management team is not only aware of the requirements to be alert to modern slavery but can also address concerns raised by their team or any suppliers. If any worker is found in breach of our policies, we ensure suitable disciplinary action is taken which can include termination.
We allow all individuals who work or provide services to us the right to freely choose employment and, the right to affiliate freely with other individuals. Associates are free to choose whether to join a trade union or not and as a result of our coaching and the Equal Opportunities statement, we offer an environment which is free from harassment and unlawful discrimination.
We ensure our working practices are in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and all employment legislation. We do not engage in forced or involuntary labour and have a zero tolerance approach to the same, meaning we do not tolerate any of our suppliers engaging in such conduct. We require suppliers to certify that they do not participate in any forced or involuntary labour with their workers, subcontractors, agents or associates by accepting The Arkema Group’s Code of Conduct for Bostik Ltd.
Bostik Ltd work in accordance with the European Court of Human Rights guidance and requirements.
Due Dilegence Processes
We use reasonable endeavours to conduct risk assessments of all third parties ensuring that we are in receipt of their own Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement as a declaration of their responsibilities and compliance.
We aim to ensure that our performance indicators do not put pressure on or influence any modern slavery risk through the negotiation of agreed performance targets with our suppliers.
The global scale of the supply chain increases the risk of not being able to directly monitor the impact of operations of slavery and trafficking outside of our primary supply partners, however we feel that the collation and commitment of the suppliers own slavery and human trafficking statements does allow us to understand the impact and risks that may exist within our supply chain and monitor any action plans in place.
The smaller primary suppliers, who are not required to produce a Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement, increase our inability to be able to monitor this as effectively. On this basis we require a written acceptance from them of Arkema’s Suppliers Code of Conduct.
Training
To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, we provide relevant training and support to ensure compliance in this area.