Corporate Transparency Framework Statement

For the purposes of this statement, we will provide information for each of the base code criteria in turn.

BASE CODE 1 – Employment is freely chosen.

Ruia Group acknowledge that the global risk of involuntary, forced or bonded labour has increased and is of a major concern to business and customers. The increased awareness of the risks of modern slavery occurring and the international efforts to address the causes of modern slavery we acknowledge as an important first step.
Ruia Group have a well communicated modern slavery policy and our staff receive regular training to raise awareness of the potential risks within our supply chain. We use third party audits and SEDEX to monitor and interpret audit information looking for indicators of the potential risk of modern slavery in our supply chain.

BASE CODE 2 – Freedom of Association and the right to collective bargaining

Ruia Group use its limited influence to encourage effective worker voice in the factories that we buy from. We accept that we have extremely limited influence in countries where personal freedoms are limited by government policy - such as China. We make all our suppliers aware of our preferences through our terms of trade and regular meetings. Where audits or other shared information make us aware of FOA issues, we engage with them on a case-by-case basis and try to engage either individually or through other collaborative projects.

BASE CODE 3 – Working conditions are safe and hygienic.

Ruia Group have a long standing and stable supply base with relationships spanning decades in some cases. Our own quality teams have been frequent visitors over the years prior to COVID, consequently we have good visibility of the working conditions and infrastructure of our supply chain. Post covid we rely on SEDEX audits to highlight health and safety deficiencies and engage with suppliers to correct those deficiencies when highlighted.

BASE CODE 4 – Child Labour shall not be used.

Ruia Group acknowledges that child labour is a major and current issue facing both the garment industry and civil society worldwide. The Group accepts that child labour may occur in many countries because of many deep rooted and complex social issues but does not accept child labour in any form in its supply chain and works actively against it.
Our policy is to work with specialists and agencies worldwide to create sustainable and broad-based solutions that keep the company informed of the local risks and provide best practice advice and guidance. The Group will continue to work with our suppliers in order to reach our goal; that no products delivered to Ruia Group are produced by child labour.

BASE CODE 5 – Living wages are paid.

Ruia Group supports the need for a worker to receive a renumeration that meets their basic needs. As a minimum we can ensure that where it exists a legal minimum wage is paid and that deductions are both legal and fair. We encourage our suppliers to act fairly and to recognise the wider socio-economic challenges that workers face on a day-to-day basis.

BASE CODE 6 – Working hours are not excessive.

Ruia Group recognise that many workers in our supply chain rely on regular premium paid overtime to provide essential additional income. We regularly audit factories and are aware that in many cases workers are engaged in long hours at work and although socially unacceptable we find that they are mostly within the national legal limits. Where we find that overtime is not voluntary or illegal, we will engage with the supplier to understand the reasons and try to negotiate a positive resolution to the problem. If we find that our purchasing practices are a root cause of excessive overtime, we will address this.

BASE CODE 7 – No discrimination is practiced.

Ruia Group supply chain is global and spans a wide variation of cultures. We feel that we work with good factories and enlightened family companies that recognise gender and cultural diversity. We continue to make those factories aware of our values and requirements and encourage them to align with our customers’ expectations.

BASE CODE 8 – Regular employment is provided.

Ruia Group have a long standing and mature supply base. Our products are well established in the consumer market. Unlike fast fashion our garment orders are planned with our suppliers well in advance and orders do not adversely fluctuate. We feel that by placing regular orders, without large variability and avoiding imposing unfair time constraints on delivery schedules we can contribute to the ability of a factory to provide stable employment for workers.

BASE CODE 9 - No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed.

Ruia Group are clear that physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation is unacceptable. The Group acknowledge that audits cannot always identify these complex underlying issues through formal inspections. Knowing the ownership and management culture of our suppliers is something that we regard as a highly significant contribution to choosing the right factories and mitigating the risk of poor practice in our supply chains.