1.No forced labour 

Inditex shall not allow any form of forced or involuntary labour in their manufacturers and suppliers.

2. No child labour 

Manufacturers and suppliers shall not employ minors. Inditex defines minors as those persons who have not yet reached their 16th birthday. In cases where local legislation stipulates a higher minimum age, the higher limit shall apply.2 

Persons with the ages between of 16 and 18 years will be considered young workers. Young workers shall not work during night hours or in hazardous conditions.

3. No discrimination

Manufacturers and suppliers shall not apply any type of discrimination in their manufacturers and suppliers.

4. Respect for freedom of association and collective bargaining 

Manufacturers and suppliers shall ensure that their employees, without distinction, have the right of association, union membership and collective bargaining. No retaliation may arise from the exercise of such right and no remuneration or payment whatsoever may be offered to the employees in order to hinder the exercise of such a right. Likewise, they shall adopt an open and collaborative attitude towards the activities of Trade Unions.

5. No harsh or inhumane treatment 

Manufacturers and suppliers shall treat their employees with dignity and respect. Under no circumstances shall physical punishment, sexual or racial harassment, verbal or power abuse or any other form of harassment or intimidation be permitted.

6. Safe and hygienic working conditions

Manufacturers and suppliers shall provide a safe and healthy workplace to their employees.

7. Wages are paid

Manufacturers and suppliers shall ensure that wages paid meet at least the minimum legal or collective bargain agreement, should this latter be higher. In any event, wages should always be enough to meet at least the basic needs of workers and their families and any other which might be considered as reasonable additional needs.

8.  Working hours are not excessive

Manufacturers and suppliers shall adjust the length of the working day to the provisions of the applicable laws.

9. Regular employment

Manufacturers and suppliers undertake that all the employment formulas they use are part of the applicable local laws. Thus, they shall not impair the rights of workers acknowledged under labour and social security laws and regulations by using schemes that have no real intention to promote regular employment in the framework of regular employment relationships.

10. Traceability of production

Manufacturers and suppliers shall not assign any work to third parties without the prior written authorization of Inditex. Those who outsource any work shall be responsible for the enforcement of the Code by these third parties and their employees. 

 12. Environmental awareness

Manufacturers and suppliers shall be duly committed at all times to protect the environment and shall comply with the standards and requirements of the applicable local and international Laws and Regulations.

13. Confidentiality of information

Manufacturers and suppliers shall preserve the integrity and confidentiality of the information they may receive as a consequence of their commercial relationship with Inditex. 

The obligation of confidentiality will remain once the relation with Inditex is terminated and it will include the obligation to return any material related to the company held by the manufacturer or supplier.

14. Code implementation 

Manufacturers and suppliers shall implement and maintain programmes to set in motion this Code. They shall appoint a senior member of Management who shall be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this Code. 

 14.1 Transparency

 

Manufacturers and suppliers shall carry out their activities in an honest, upright and transparent way, keeping for these purposes an appropriate accounting records system

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that facilitates the traceability of their decisions, as a preventive measure versus any type of corruption, bribe and extortion that might arise.

 

Manufacturers and suppliers shall not offer, grant, request or accept any gifts or donations to/from Inditex buyers which might infringe the provisions of the “Inditex Code of Conduct and Responsible Practices”.

 

Manufacturers and suppliers shall not manipulate or influence their workers, nor shall they forge any files or records in order to alter the verification process regarding compliance with this Code.

 

Manufacturers and suppliers shall neither offer nor accept remuneration of any kind which seeks, or may be perceived to seek, to affect the impartial judgment or the objectivity of such parties appointed by Inditex to carry out inspections and compliance audits in connection with this Code.

 

14.2 Reference to national legislation, Conventions and Agreements. 

 

The provisions of this Code constitute only minimum standards.

 

Should national regulations or any other applicable Law or any other commitments undertaken or applicable, including collective bargaining agreements, govern the same issue, the provision which offers greater protection for workers shall apply.

 

Inditex assumes, as part of its internal norms, the content of national and international Agreements and Conventions to which it has adhered, and that they are applied in its relationship with manufacturers and suppliers, committing to their promotion and compliance. 

 

 

14.3 Verification of compliance

 

Manufacturers and suppliers  shall authorize Inditex and/or any third parties the former might appoint, to monitor the appropriate enforcement of the Code. For these purposes, they shall provide the required means and the appropriate access to the facilities and documentation required to ensure this verification.

 

14.4 Committee of Ethics and Whistleblowing Channel

This Code is aligned with the principles and values that are included in the Inditex Code of Conduct and Responsible Practices, which regulates a Committee of Ethics and Whistleblowing Channel to ensure its enforcement. 

In this sense, and in order to ensure the enforcement of the Code of Conduct for Manufacturers and Suppliers, the Committee of Ethics can act at its own initiative or following a formal complaint made in good faith by a manufacturer, supplier or other interested third party that might have any direct relationship or commercial or professional interest with Inditex.