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Supplier Code of Conduct
The Procurement and Logistics Service (PaLS) is the sole provider of professional procurement and logistics services to all public Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations in Northern Ireland. It is a recognised Centre of Procurement Expertise (CoPE) established under the Northern Ireland Public Procurement Policy as approved by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
PaLS, acting on behalf of its HSC Clients, has a responsibility to ensure that the values and principles it operates under are complied with by all suppliers and subcontractors who are engaged in the provision of goods and/or services to HSC.
This Supplier Code of Conduct sets out the values and principles expected of our suppliers, which are based on the United Nations Global Compact. The Core Principles of the United Nations Global Compact are derived from: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
Suppliers, their named sub-contractors, and their suppliers and supply chain, are all required to comply with this Code of Conduct. The Principal Contractor has responsibility for controlling its own supply chain during the period of the Contract, to ensure that there is full adherence to this Code of Conduct.
- Laws and Ethical Standards
The supplier must comply fully with all laws, regulations and standards applicable to its business and the country or countries in which it operates. This includes the protection of human rights.
Suppliers must ensure they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
- Child Labour
The supplier shall support the effective abolition of child labour and shall in all business activities and business relationships support the Children’s Rights and Business Principles of UNICEF.
The supplier must not engage in any practice inconsistent with the rights set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The supplier must not employ Children below 14 years of age or the minimum age of employment permitted by the law of the country or countries in which it operates if that age is higher than 14, or the age of the end of compulsory schooling, whichever is higher of the three.
The supplier must also not employ persons under the age of 18 for work that, by its nature of the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health or safety of such persons.
- Forced Labour
The supplier shall make no use of forced, bonded or compulsory labour, ensuring that employees are free to choose their employment and leave that employment without hold by financial deposit or personal items, including passports.
- Compensation and working hours
The supplier must ensure that they comply with the respective national laws and regulations regarding working hours, wages and benefits in the country or countries in which it operates.
- Discrimination
The supplier is expected to follow all relevant legislation, regulations and directives relating to anti-discrimination in the country or countries in which they operate including any recruitment legislation, promotion, training, remuneration and benefits on the grounds of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, health condition, political opinion, nationality, social or ethnic origin, trade union membership or marital status.
- Freedom of Association
The supplier is expected to uphold the freedom of association and recognise the right to collective bargaining, including engaging in collective bargaining negotiations on the principle of good faith.
The supplier must ensure that no discrimination is made against employees on the basis of trade union membership
- Human Rights
The supplier must support and comply with all applicable human rights legislation in the county or countries in which they operate. This includes complying with the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and the Human Rights Act 1998
The supplier is required to ensure that it creates and maintains an environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect.
- Health and Safety
The supplier must adhere to all relevant legislation, regulations and directives in the country or countries in which they operate to ensure a safe and hygienic working environment is available including any catering or accommodation areas.
When equipment or processes are used the supplier must ensure that these are safe and that on-going training is provided as required.
All personal protective clothing and equipment necessary to ensure the health and safety of employees must be provided free of charge by the Supplier.
The supplier is required to have policies and processes in place to record any health and safety related incidents, including a risk register and avoiding the cause of any mental health issues affecting employees.
The supplier shall be prepared for any disruptions of its business (e.g. natural disasters, terrorism, cyber-attack, pandemic). This preparedness especially includes disaster plans to protect both employees and the environment that might arise as far as possible from the effects of possible disasters.
- Anti-Corruption
The supplier must ensure they uphold the highest standard of moral and ethical conduct, respecting local laws and adhering to anti-corruption laws, including but not limited to the Bribery Act 2010 and anti-money laundering regulations.
- Environmental
The supplier is expected to have an effective environmental policy and to comply with existing legislation and regulations in the country or countries in which they operate regarding the protection of the environment.
- Compliance with the PaLS Code of Conduct for Contractor’s
The Contractor must have robust means of ensuring that it takes responsibility for controlling its own supply chain during the period of Contract to ensure that there is full adherence to this Code of Conduct.
The BSO reserves the right to check the Contractor’s compliance with the requirements of this Code of Conduct. This includes the right for BSO to conduct independent monitoring of the supply chain, including by announced, unannounced or semi-announced audits of supplier locations in all countries in which the supplier operates. Any breach of the obligations stipulated in this Code of Conduct will be considered as a material breach of contract by the Contractor.