Company profile: Trafic Textile
Headquarters: Florennes
Country: Belgium
Founded in: The first Trafic shop opened in1983. SOGESMA was created in 2004.
Total points of sale in Europe: 67
Owned by: Family Marchandise (90%)
Name of CEO: Thierry Quertinmon
Product description: Clothing and household products. Low-priced, basic products, mostly with no brand names. Retails a complete range of clothing, including shoes, for women, men and children.
Producer countries: n.a.
General remarks: Trafic Textile shops sell garments, textiles and shoes. Trafic Bazar shops sell household products. SOGESMA is in charge of the entire supply chain and of the whole network of stores owned by the company in Belgium and Northern France.
Trafic Textile
Route de Mettet, 204 5620 Florennes
info(at)trafic.com
Comments from CCC and proposals for action
In August 2007, the CCC had a meeting with the company to discuss the CCC questionnaire. The reason given by Trafic for not completing the questionnaire was that they were very new in the field of direct sourcing and had not yet taken any steps towards implementing social responsibility standards in their supply chains.
In 2008, Trafic became a member of the Business Social compliance initiative (BSCI). The CCC welcomes this step taken by Trafic towards a CSR policy. However, the CCC want to point out the BSCI lacks of transparency, workers and NGO involvement at all levels and transfers of responsibility for labour conditions down the supply chain.
For the CCC, the company should commit to a more comprehensive and coherent approach concerning the respect of the workers rights in its supplying network and could improve transparency in this matter, notably in becoming a member of a credible multistakeholder initiative such as the Fair Wear Foundation.
Due to the company’s lack of response to the CCC questionnaire, the following evaluation of its corporate accountability policy is based on a desk study conducted by the CCC in 2007 and on information communicated at the 2007 meeting and in the course of follow up. In the section “Recent developments” you can find additional information gathered after 2007.
Transparency
Trafic Textile did not complete the CCC questionnaire.
In 2007, some information is disclosed about turnover and profits. The salaries of top management are not known. The information given about producer countries and the structure of the supply chain is not comprehensive. There is no comprehensive sustainability report available. Trafic Textile provides neither the results of factory audits nor information about verification activities. The company does not disclose general targets for future monitoring activities.
Formal commitment to labour standards
In 2007, Trafic is not formally committed to respecting minimum social and labour standards in workplaces where its products are made or the relevant local labour laws of producer countries. It has not yet adopted a code of conduct.
Code implementation and purchasing practices
In 2007, Trafic Textile does not indicate the steps it is taking to effectively implement minimum labour standards in its supply chain. There is no evidence that the company holds training on labour rights issues. There is no evidence that Trafic Textile intends to implement the payment of living wages to workers in its supply chain. Trafic Textile 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. The CCC is not aware of any provisions to give buyers positive incentives to reward better working conditions or of any measures that show how to improve planning and prevent excessive overtime.
Monitoring and Verification
In 2007, nothing is known to the CCC about the company’s monitoring activities and their outcomes. The company is not a member of any multi-stakeholder initiative.
Violations of labour rights and public conflicts
There are no CCC public urgent appeals calling on Trafic to take responsibility for workers’ rights violations in its supply chain.
Recent developments
In 2008,
- the company affiliated to the business initiative BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) and started a first round of audits of its production units;
- the company increased its direct sourcing capacity by hiring a new, experimented buying officer and began to develop its own design department for garments.
Becoming a member of BSCI means that Trafic has adopted a code of conduct that includes a reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and requires compliance with all relevant local labour laws. The code also indicates that where local and international standards are at variance, the higher standard should prevail. The company is now formally committed to respecting minimum labour standards in accordance with ILO Core Conventions. These include the right to organise and bargain collectively and prohibit child labour, discrimination and forced labour. The BSCI code of conduct does not apply to all workplaces where the member company’s products are made.
Beyond ILO Core Conventions, the company is committed to workers’ right to earn a wage for standard working hours that meets the basic needs of workers and their families but does not provide a discretionary income. It is therefore not a living wage. 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 other goods. The company 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*:
- the provision of transitional measures that will be in the interest of the child and of her/his family where child labour is found;
- special provisions for workers under 18 years of age (e.g. education, no night work);
- specific steps to encourage decent working conditions in countries where freedom of association and collective bargaining are restricted by law;
- prohibiting the retention by employers of security deposits or identity papers;
- payment of overtime at a premium rate.
- a living wage must be guaranteed during regular working hours without overtime.
- prohibiting physical abuse, threats of physical abuse, unusual punishments or discipline, sexual and other forms of harassment as well as intimidation by the employer.