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Code of Conduct for the Tea Sector, Drafted at the IUF African tea meeting, Arusha, Tanzania, October 1995 and endorsed by the IUF global tea meeting, Coimbatore, India, October 1996.
The following conditions must exist for fair trade to be possible:
  1. Freedom of association to be guaranteed. Recognition of independent, democratic trade unions and the right to organise and bargain collectively.
  2. Workers must be paid a living wage.
  3. Guaranteed adequate housing, sanitation and safe water.
  4. Weekly hours to be fixed at 40 hours over 5 days. Double time for overtime.
  5. No child below the school leaving age or the national registration age, whichever is lower, should work on a tea plantation.
  6. health and safety standards:
    - provision of protective clothing
    - no use of banned chemicals
    - training in occupational health & safety
    - establishment of safety committees.
  7. No discrimination on grounds of gender or race. Equal pay for equal work. Access to training and promotion should be available for women.
  8. Vocational training and paid time-off for trade union education.
  9. Casual, seasonal, piece-rate and task work should be discouraged but where it is unavoidable, pay and benefits should not be less then those of permanent workers.
  10. There should be paid maternity leave of at lest 90 days, in addition to annual leave, with no loss of seniority. Paid paternity leave should also be granted.
  11. Respect for workers and dignity of labour. Sexual harassment of women will not be tolerated.
  12. Provision of welfare facilities and adequate social security provision especially retirement benefits.
  13. Workers’ children should have access to a crèche and school within reasonable walking distance.
  14. Environmentally friendly production of tea should be encouraged

 

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