Natural stone paving and stone product supplier
London Stone reaffirm the importance of ethical trade abroad in the run up to
this month’s ETI event
The Ethical
Trade/Trading Initiative (ETI) is an alliance of trade unions, companies and
voluntary organisations who work tirelessly to improve the working lives of
poor and vulnerable workers around the world. These workers are often forced to
operate under dangerous and harsh conditions for long hours with very little
pay, producing a complex array of consumer goods sold in the west and affluent countries.
On the 18th
September 2014 at the Holiday Inn in Birmingham City Centre, the ETI will be
hosting their Responsible Procurement and Supplier Engagement Conference. This
event will focus on how overseas supply chains can help businesses achieve optimum
sustainability goals and look at ways to engage suppliers effectively. Billed
as a ‘must attend’ event for organisations who wish to establish a truly
ethical and sustainable supply chain, covering all manner of industries, the
conference will mark its third successful year, with popularity soaring over
the last few months as more UK businesses register to attend.
London-based
specialist stone suppliers London Stone regularly responds to news, reports and
research within their industry. A spokesperson for the company was keen to explain
the level of work that London Stone put into helping to support ethical and
fair working and pay conditions for their suppliers:
“As a
company who sources much of their natural stone from across Europe, China and India,
there is an ethical factor that we take into consideration when weighing up
potential material providers. We strive to ensure that the hard working
individuals responsible for sourcing some of the materials we sell receive a
fair and honest wage and are able to work in reasonable conditions.
“Joining the
ETI was one of the most ethically conscious moves that London Stone has made
within its blossoming history. After studying the ETI base code that describes
the minimum standards of fair practice that corporate members are required to
adhere to we began developing the right relationships with the right suppliers,
ensuring that their employee working conditions are fair.”
The Ethical
Trade Initiative has proved hugely successful and has afforded many businesses
an insight into numerous aspects of the origins of the products they have
imported from suppliers.
London Stone
is a well-established company providing a diverse collection of natural stone
paving and a fantastic assortment of stone products for all manner of building
applications. Discover more about their services and products at www.londonstone.co.uk.