Company profile: IC Companys
Headquarters: Copenhagen
Country: Denmark
Founded in: 2001
Total points of sale in Europe: 259 company-owned stores in 13 countries and 22 factory outlets.
Owned by: Public shareholder company
Name of CEO: Henrik Theilbjørn
Product description: Peak Performance, Inwear, Jackpot, Matinique, Cottonfield, Part Two, Tiger of Sweden, Saint Tropez, Soaked in Luxury, Designers Remix Collection. The company also owns 50% shares in By Malene Birger.
Producer countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Turkey, Lithuania, Romania
General remarks: The company owns 259 shops in 13 countries + 22 factory outlets and wholesale distribution points in more than 40 countries.
IC Companys
Dorte Gram Nybroe
Raffinaderivej 10, DK 2300 København S
dgn(at)iccompanys.com
Comments from CCC and proposals for action
The IC Companys has responded fairly openly and cooperatively to the CCC questionnaire. The company became of member of BSCI in July 2007. We need to see how it will follow up on the monitoring and verification of conditions in the production units of garment suppliers.
CCC however is quite concerned about the serious flaw in the monitoring model of the BSCI, such as the lack of transparency, the lack of credible stakeholders representing trade union’s and ngo`s involvement in the BSCI board and its monitoring program and the fact that the responsibility for improvements is transferred down the supply chain.
IC Companys has also been involved in the establishment of the Danish Initiative for Etical Trading(DIEH) in 2007.
CCC recommendations to IC Companys: To show more transparency by disclosing a list of their suppliers and provide a sustainability report.
To use the membership of a multistakeholder initiative like DIEH to establish more transparent and valid monitoring and verification activities.
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 CCC questionnaire and on additional research conducted by CCC in 2007. In the section “Recent developments” you can find additional information gathered after 2007.
Transparency
IC Companys has responded comprehensively to the CCC questionnaire and is providing the CCC with most of the information required. The company is in regular dialogue with NGOs, including the CCC. Some information is disclosed about turnover and profits. The salary of top management is publicly disclosed. The information given about producer countries and the structure of the company’s supply chain is not comprehensive. The company does not disclose a list of suppliers. There is no sustainability report available.
IC Companys does not provide the results of factory audits. It does not disclose general targets for future monitoring activities.
Formal commitment to labour standards
IC Companys has adopted a code of conduct that refers to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and requires compliance with relevant local labour laws but it does not indicate that where local and international standards are at variance the higher standard should prevail. The company is formally committed to respecting minimum social and labour standards and refers to ILO core conventions (no child labour, no discrimination, no forced labour but the right to organize and to bargain collectively). IC Companys ´s code of conduct does not apply to all workers affected by labour practices for which the company has some measure of responsibility .The company is committed to workers’ right to earn a wage that meets the basic needs of workers and their families but does not specify that this is within standard working hours and makes no reference to discretionary income. It is therefore not a living wage. Overtime is mentioned as occasional and paid at a premium rate. The company’s code calls for a safe and hygienic environment for the workers producing its goods. It does not explicitly require 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 the company’s commitment in relation to prohibiting arbitrary penalties in case of workers’ sickness or pregnancy. *
Code implementation and purchasing practices
IC Companys did not indicate the steps it is taking to verify code implementation in its supply chain. Its code of conduct is translated into all the languages of the countries the company is sourcing from and is sent with the contract to suppliers. There are enough resources available within the company's management to effectively implement labour standards. However there was nothing in the company's response to indicate that the company holds training on labour rights issues - either for management or workers of the factories producing its goods. IC Companys does not provide any information indicating an intention to pay workers a living wage.
Monitoring and Verification
As a new member of BSCI, the company did not audit any suppliers in 2006. The company is not involved in independent verification through a multi-stakeholder approach. There are no local partners consulted in the monitoring process and no local NGOs involved in the verification process.
Violations of labour rights and public conflicts
There are no urgent appeals known to the CCC calling on the company to take responsibility for workers’ rights violations in its supply chain.
Recent developments
The CSR contact person is no longer employed in IC Company – instead Henrik Steensgaard, Investor Relations Manager is temporary CSR contact.