ORGANISATIONS SEEK STRONGER CSR IN PALM OIL INDUSTRY
The principles and guidelines were based on the International Labour Organisation ’ s core conventions and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights . Among the recommendations :
• Eliminate all forms of forced or compulsory labour
• Abolish the worst forms of child labour
• Respect freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining ;
• Provide adequate protective equipment free of cost
• Provide adequate housing , water , medical , educational and welfare amenities
• Ban all highly hazardous pesticides including persistent , carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting pesticides
• Commit to reasonable working hours and progress toward payment of a living wage ;
• Practice ethical recruitment with no fees for workers or seizure of identity documents ;
• Establish a legitimate , accessible , and transparent grievance mechanism , consistent with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ; and
• Commit to meaningful transparency and disclosure of all plantation processes .
The guide was developed by a forum of experts comprised of NGOs , workers organisations , representatives of unions , investors and philanthropic organisations from the United States , Europe , Malaysia , and Indonesia .
Partner organizations include : Federasi Serikat Perkerja Minamas , Finnwatch , Firestone Agricultural Workers Union of Liberia , Forest Peoples Programme , General Agriculture and Allied Workers Union of Liberia , Humanity United , Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility , International Labor Rights Forum , Land Empowerment Animals People , Link-AR Borneo , MONDIAAL-FNV , Malaysian Palm Oil NGO Coalition , OPPUK , Oxfam , Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific , Rainforest Action Network , Sawit Watch , SERBUNDO , Serikat Buruh Medan Independen , Serikat Buruh Mandiri Indonesia , Tenaganita , Trade Union Care Center , Verité , and Walk Free , as well as advisory support from CERES .
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