Company profile: Manor AG
http://www.manor.ch/www.manor.ch
Headquarters: Basel
Country: Switzerland
Founded in: 1902
Total points of sale in Europe: 72
Owned by: Maus Frères
Name of CEO: Bertrand Jungo
Product description: Manor is selling apparel for women, men, children, underwear, sport and some shoes. Their own labels have these names: Avant Premiere AP, Vinci, JJB Benson, Colonial, campus, inside by campus, essential. And in their sport shops and department stores they sell some 150 other brands.
Countries of production: Asia, China (People's Republic of China), India, Thailand, Europe
General remark: Yes or No stores with young fashion and the major sport brand selling retailer chain Athlethicum belong to the Manor group as well.
Manor AG
Kurt Holzer
Rebgasse 34 4005 Basel Postfach 337
kurt.holzer(at)manor.ch
Comment from CCC and proposals for action
The Manor AG has over 500 million Swiss francs in sales in the clothing category and is one of the largest Swiss importers in this sector. Manor has not yet joined a multi-stakeholder initiative; instead, it works on improving its own initiative standards. Cooperation with their suppliers and STR Testing & Inspection AG, a "professional" audit firm, cannot make up for the disadvantages of this isolated approach. What is problematic is that Manor rarely works with recognized groups from civil society nor does it allow independent verification of its producer’ standards. Collaboration with groups from civil society could help Manor implement standards in a more credible and effective manner since the needs of the workers and further target groups would be taken more fully into consideration. The company maintains long-term business relationships with 70 percent of its producers. While a small portion of their cotton products are organic, or more specifically, Max-Havelaar certified, this is expected to expand.
Take action: Express your misgivings to the sales personnel about whether the standards are actually implemented correctly and encourage Manor to join the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF). Ask for an expansion of products produced from fair trade or organic-certified cotton.
The following evaluation of the company’s performance in terms of transparency, code implementation and monitoring of labour standards is based on the company’s response to the questionnaire from the CCC and on an additional desk study conducted by the CCC in 2007. In the section “Recent developments” you can find additional information gathered after 2007.
Transparency
Manor AG has responded to the CCC-questionnaire and has provided some additional documents. The company is in regular dialogue with NGOs and/or trade unions, including the CCC. Some information is disclosed about turnover and corporate structure. The amount of salaries of the top management is not known. Information is given about producer countries. There is no sustainability report available. Manor AG provides results of factory audits but no information about verification activities. The company does not disclose general targets for future monitoring activities.
Formal commitment to labour standards
Manor AG has adopted a code of conduct that requires compliance with all relevant local labour laws and indicates that where local and international standards are at variance the higher standard should prevail. The code does not include a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The company is formally committed to respecting minimum labour standards in all workplaces where their products are made, in accordance with ILO Core Conventions. These include the right to organise and bargain collectively and prohibit child labour, discrimination, and forced labour. Manor AG’s code of conduct applies to all workers affected by labour practices for which the company has some measure of responsibility. The code of conduct includes measures to implement the code and monitor labour conditions in the facilities used. Beyond the ILO Core Conventions, the company is committed to workers’ right to earn a living wage (i.e. a wage for standard working hours that meets the basic needs of workers and their families and provides some discretionary income). Overtime is stipulated to be occasional only and is paid at a premium rate. The company’s code calls for a safe and hygienic environment for the workers who produce its garments and/or sportswear. The company explicitly requires that all workers receive a regular employment contract.Beyond the labour standards mentioned above, the company code is not precise enough on some specific issues. It does not state its commitment in relation to*:
- specific steps to encourage decent working conditions in countries where freedom of association and collective bargaining are restricted by law;
- ending the the worst forms of child labour with explicit reference to ILO core-convention 182
Code implementation and purchasing practices
Although a few steps have been taken, Manor AG does not have sufficient instruments to effectively implement minimum labour standards in its supply chain. The code of conduct is translated into some of the languages of the countries the company is sourcing from; every buying contract states the obligation for the supplier to comply with the code. There was nothing in the Manor AG’s to indicate that the company holds training sessions on labour rights issues – either for management or workers at the factories producing its goods. Manor AG agrees to pay a living wage, but does not document its calculations. Manor AG has not shown that it is aware of the fact that part of its production sites are located in countries or zones where freedom of association is not guaranteed by law. Manor AG takes, to some extent, the impact of its own purchasing practices into account. It has established some procedures which show how to improve planning and prevent excessive overtime. There are no provisions to give buyers positive incentives to reward better working conditions.
Monitoring and Verification
The company is not a member of any business initiative. There are some information known to CCC about monitoring activities. However, Manor AG could not provide examples of how identified labour rights violations were followed up and remedied. Unannounced audits at suppliers and subcontractors are not required. The company is not involved in independent verification by a multi-stakeholder approach.
Violations of labour rights and public conflicts
There are no public urgent appeals from CCC calling on Manor AG to take responsibility for workers’ rights violations in its supply chain.
Recent developments
The code of conduct of Manor was modified in summer 2008 to include the most important points in accordance with the CCC model code of conduct. Moreover, the role "Ethical and Social Responsibility" was integrated into the division of Sourcing & Partnership and thus was separated from the commercial divisions. Furthermore, the company has announced the development of a supply chain for products from organically-cultivated natural fibers as well as quotas and delivery guarantees for fair trade cotton. These adjustments are a good beginning; however, these alone are not enough. Now a commitment from the company regarding the implementation as well as the independent verification of the progress by a multi-stakeholder initiative such as the Fair Wear Foundation is desired.