You cannot say your factory is perfect, and then buy your materials from companies where children are at work.”
Small steps
CSR dilemmas
How do you experience CSR in China?
In China, within our market, internal CSR policies are about
I think to answer this I should categorize corporate social
keeping the bottom-line for proper business conduct. We pay
responsibility into two elements. The first one is taking into
legitimate wages, rightful benefits, offer decent working hours
consideration how you conduct business within your own
and provide a clean, safe and healthy working environment to
company. The second is about taking responsibility in your
our employees. By all means we actively do extra activities such
supply chain, reaching beyond mandatory company boundaries.
as our big new year’s party and yearly company outing. But remember, we are still an ‘unskilled labor’ factory in a low wage
Although they are not perfect, In Europe and the US, companies
country.
primarily do comply to legal requirements. I remember in Dutch companies I worked at, CSR policies were seen as extensive
The second element of CSR is supply chain responsibility. You
social policies to improve employees’ health and happiness
cannot say your factory is perfect, and then buy your materials
and community outreach. They addressed issues which are
from companies where children are at work. We realize that
categorically above and beyond what is legally required.
our responsibility stretches beyond the boundaries of our company. This is the most challenging part. Although Chinese
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