ethically made standard
our artisans are part of our brand
We define ourselves as a Collective or to be more specific, a Collective of artisans. For us, that means each artisan in our Collective is part of our brand. They are interwoven into who we are as a company and we make decisions with them at the forefront of our movement! - Founder Audrey
Our Standard
The best part about building an ethically made standard is that there are so many great (data driven) resources to draw from. When we set out to build our own ethically made standard, we simply chose to adopt mainstream ideas from industry leaders. We specially drew from the International Labour Organization (ILO), Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI), ACT, Global Living Wage Coalition (GLWC) and World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). The ILO and ETI are probably the biggest leading figures in the space with the WTFO focusing on smaller teams of artisans. ACT and GLWC each take a different perspective but both are hyper focused on providing living wages to artisans. We applied overlapping and individual ideas from all three standards!
Principles
These are the requirements that we expect from all of our suppliers and we will only work with suppliers who practice these standards. Currently, 100% of all our artisan groups and manufacturers meet these standards.
- Employment is freely chosen
Employment is freely chosen
There is no forced, bonded or involuntary prison labour. (ETI)
You and your Producers do not restrict Workers’ freedom of movement or employment and are not involved in human trafficking. (WFTO)
According to the ILO, forced labor empcompases: “traditional practices of forced labour, such as vestiges of slavery or slave-like practices, and various forms of debt bondage, as well as new forms of forced labour that have emerged in recent decades, such as human trafficking. Also called “modern-slavery” to shed light on working and living conditions contrary to human dignity.”
- Working conditions must be safe and hygienic
Working conditions must be safe and hygienic
A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment. (ETI)
Access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided. (ETI)
You provide safe working conditions for your Workers and minimise risks of accidents or health problems including safe management of chemicals and other high risk activities, safe buildings & emergency procedures, adequate fire prevention and first aid. (WFTO)
You have an up-to-date assessment of health and safety risks in your operations and record accidents or work related health problems, analysing all incidents and taking appropriate corrective action to improve the situation. (WFTO)
You monitor important health & safety risks at Producer/Homeworker level and work with your Producers/home workers to ensure safety risk awareness, accident prevention and minimisation of health risks for themselves, their families and Workers (if any). (WFTO)
- Working hours are not excessive
Working hours are not excessive
Working hours, excluding overtime, shall be defined by contract, and shall not exceed 48 hours per week*. (ETI)
All overtime shall be voluntary. Overtime shall be used responsibly, taking into account all the following: the extent, frequency and hours worked by individual workers and the workforce as a whole. It shall not be used to replace regular employment. (ETI)
Working hours may exceed 60 hours in any 7 day period only in exceptional circumstances where all of the following are met: (ETI)
- this is allowed by national law;
- this is allowed by a collective agreement freely negotiated with a workers’ organisation representing a significant portion of the workforce;
- appropriate safeguards are taken to protect the workers’ health and safety; and
- the employer can demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply such as unexpected production peaks, accidents or emergencies.
Workers shall be provided with at least one day off in every 7 day period or, where allowed by national law, 2 days off in every 14 day period.* (ETI)
You record working hours of your Workers and meet national legislation with regard to working hours, overtime, statutory holidays and annual leave. (WFTO)
- Child labor is prohibited
Child labor is prohibited
You do not employ children below the age of 15 or under the age defined by local law (whichever is higher) as Workers. (WFTO)
If you employ young Workers (15–17 years) you ensure that their working conditions conform to applicable national regulations. You must not submit Workers of less than 18 years of age to any work which is likely to jeopardise their health, safety, morals or their school attendance. (WFTO)
- Discrimination is prohibited
Discrimination is prohibited
There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation. (ETI)
In your employment practices you do not practice any discrimination in hiring, remuneration, access to training, promotion, disciplinary practices, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union membership, political affiliation, HIV/Aids status or age, unless it is part of your mission to favour particular disadvantaged groups. (WFTO)
You provide equal pay for equal work, equal employment rights and benefits for women and men. (WFTO)
You have a policy and plan to ensure that women as well as men are able to access the resources they need to be productive, take part in decision-making in your organisation and beyond, and take up leadership positions. (WFTO)
You respect all legal requirements for pregnant women and new mothers. (WFTO)
- Harsh or inhumane treatment is prohibited
Harsh or inhumane treatment is prohibited
Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited. (ETI)
- All workers receive a minimum wage
All workers receive a minimum wage
Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. (ETI)
All workers shall be provided with written and understandable Information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period concerned each time that they are paid. (ETI)
Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without the expressed permission of the worker concerned. (ETI)
You pay your Workers at least the legally required Minimum Wage. (WFTO)
- Regular employment is provided
Regular employment is provided
To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice. (ETI)
You monitor the ratio of regular workers to casual workers, strive to provide regular employment and do not use limited term contracts or apprenticeships to avoid social security for Workers. (WFTO)
- Freedom of association and collective bargaining are respected
Freedom of association and collective bargaining are respected
The employer adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and their organisational activities. (ETI)
Workers representatives are not discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace. (ETI)
Where the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is restricted under law, the employer facilitates, and does not hinder, the development of parallel means for independent and free association and bargaining. (ETI)
You respect the right of all your Workers to form and join Workers’ organisations of their choice and to bargain collectively. (WFTO)
Please note, we work extremely hard to identify all downstream suppliers that participate in our supply chain. This starts with the growth/cultivation of the natural fibers and ends with the final production of our products. At the moment, we know the exact supply chain for all of our organic cotton, Pima cotton, alpaca and Tencel.
Living Wages
Most people/brands/organizations have a tough time correctly defining a living wage or more importantly, how to calculate one. While the term itself would seem pretty easy to define, being able to root it in concrete principles with real world costs makes it more difficult to assess. That is why, at Soluna Collective, we are changing our model. Instead of adhering to the certifications for approval on living wages, we have decided to seek the data ourselves. We are basing our living wages on the Anker Methodology, which was brought to life by the Global Living Wage Coalition (GLWC), and is quickly revolutionizing the way we think about living wages. They define living wages as:
"The remuneration received for a standard workweek by a worker in a particular place sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the worker and her or his family. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, health care, transportation, clothing, and other essential needs including provision for unexpected events."
I am not sure I can express how amazing the Anker Methodology is or how beneficial it will be to the world in a few sentences. So instead, we made an article that highlights just that. But for those looking for a brief explanation, the Anker Methodology, is the only data driven approach that actually calculates (with a formula) the true cost of a "decent standard of living". The goal of the Methodology is simple: We need to pay the people who make our products a living wage and we need to do it now!
At Soluna Collective, we are in the middle of this living wage data collection process for our artisans and will share the findings when done.
Living Wages
While these are our standards today, we are researching this space daily. Our goal is to expand and improve the existing principles listed above. We will use certifications when applicable and we will do our own due diligence to make sure that everyone in our supply chain meets our ethically made standards and receives a living wage!
