SA8000® — Neela Blue Sets New Standards In Corporate Social Responsibility
Social accountability is the new buzzword in the denim industry. But what does it really mean to be socially accountable? As a leading denim mill in Pakistan, social compliance is so much more than ensuring fair wages to the people who work day and night to make sure that Neela’s mill works like a well-oiled machine. Social accountability is second nature to us here at Neela, and being SA8000 Standard Certified is a feather on our hat. Read on to find out more about how Neela by Sapphire Fibres is disrupting the denim industry by meeting a benchmark in social accountability.
We are delighted to announce that Neela Blue has achieved the SA8000®social accountability certification. Social accountability is at the core of Neela’s identity. Our management policies and practices are based on the mission of creating sustainable value for the company and our workforce, and we’re very proud to have these values recognised globally.
The world has become a much more connected place, and transparency is more vital than ever before. Thus, it’s important to communicate that our organisation is upholding social performance expectations, while also continuously improving our management systems to address and prevent social and labour risks.
Another important aspect of Neela’s social responsibility is its commitment to workplace safety and training. We continue to assign authorized, skilled workers to train employees and ensure that our employees receive safety training every year. With continuous education, we at Neela can ensure the unceasing development of in-house skills while staying in line with mandatory regulations.
The SA8000® Standard covers a vast criterion of social accountability standards, which encourages organizations to develop, maintain and apply practices that incorporate respect for human rights for workers, protection against child labour and health and safety. The standard measures nine elements important to social accountability in workplaces, including child labour, discrimination, work hour, safety and more and over 4,100 companies are certified across 56 industries. The benefits to the certification for us as a leading Pakistani denim mill range from better workflow to higher employee retention and better customer relations, even during a global pandemic. The SA8000®Standard also serves as a framework for continual improvement, as no certification is a be-all and end-all.
In line with our code of ethics and sustainability policies, SA8000 certification reaffirms our commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and sustainable business development. This is an important milestone for Neela Blue, one that demonstrates our commitment to not only sustainability but also ethics in our corporate social responsibility practices.
Compliance with the SA8000®Standard implies considering the social footprint and impact of our business, in addition to the conditions in which our employees, sister mills and partners operate. Thus, reasserting our commitment to improving employee relations practices, not just for our own workforce, but also in the supply chain we are part of.
About Neela By Sapphire Fibres
Neela By Sapphire Fibres is a Pakistan-based Gold Leeds Certified mill disrupting denim by setting new standards in sustainability and social responsibility. Founded in 2016, Neela sets itself apart with it’s over expertise forged over 80 years of industry experience spread across three generations. Innovation, sustainability and responsiveness to the people & environment are deeply Ingrained in Neela’s roots, values and culture.
Today, Neela’s parent company — Sapphire Group is a publically listed company in Pakistan and a vertically integrated premier textile mill manufacturing cotton yarn, fabrics and garments. The Group has also diversified into the power generation and dairy sectors and continues to be a beneficiary to health and educational development in Pakistan — all of which have contributed to the foundation that Neela was built on.
About Social Accountability International (SAI)
Founded in 1997, Social Accountability International (SAI) is a global non-governmental organization advancing human rights at work. SAI’s vision is of decent work everywhere — sustained by an understanding that socially responsible workplaces benefit business while securing fundamental human rights. SAI empowers workers and managers at all levels of businesses and supply chains, using its multi-industry SA8000® Standard, as well as Social Fingerprint®, TenSquared, and other training and capacity building programs. SAI is a leader in policy and implementation, working together with a diverse group of stakeholders, including brands, suppliers, governments, trade unions, non-profits, and academia.
