Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Standards for Vendor Partners
United States Department of Labour
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ('Wal-Mart") has enjoyed success by
adhering to three basic principles since its founding in 1962.
The first principle is the concept of providing value and
service to our customers by offering quality merchandise at low
prices every day. Wal-Mart has built the relationship with its
customers on this basis, and we believe it is a fundamental
reason for the Company's rapid growth and success. The second
principle is corporate dedication to a partnership between
the Company's associates (employees), ownership and management.
This concept is extended to Wal-Mart's Vendor Partners who have
increased their business as Wal-Mart has grown. The third
principle is a commitment by Wal-Mart to the United States
and the communities in which stores and distribution centers are
located.
Wal-Mart strives to conduct its business in a manner that
reflects these three basic principles and the resultant
fundamental values. Each of our Vendor Partners, in cluding our
Vendor Partners outside the United States, are expected to
conform to those principles and values and to assure compliance
in all contracting, subcontract ing or other relationships.
Since Wal-Mart believes that the conduct of its Vendor
Partners can be transferred to Wal-Mart and affect its
reputation, Wal-Mart requires that its Vendor Partners conform to
standards of business practices which are consistent with the
three principles described above. More specifically, Wal-Mart
requires conformity from its Vendor Partners with the following
standards, and hereby reserves the right to make peri odic,
unannounced inspections of Vendor Partner's facilities to satisfy
itself of Vendor Partner's compliance with these standards:
1. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS
- All Vendor Partners shall comply with the legal
requirements and standards of their industry under the
national laws of the countries in which the Vendor
Partners are doing business. Should the legal
requirements and standards of the industry conflict,
Vendor Partners must, at a minimum, be in compliance with
the legal requirements of the country in which the
products are manu factured. If, however, the industry
standards exceed the country's legal re quirements,
Wal-Mart will favor Vendor Partners who meet such
industry standards. Vendor Partners shall comply with all
import requirements of the U.S. Customs Service and all
U.S. Government agencies. Necessary invoices and required
documentation must be provided in compliance with U.S.
law. Vendor Partners shall warrant to Wal-Mart that no
merchandise sold to Wal -Mart infringes the patents,
trademarks or copyrights of others and shall pro vide to
Wal-Mart all necessary licenses for selling merchandise
sold to Wal -Mart which is under license from a third
party to protect intellectual property rights in the
United States or elsewhere. All merchandise shall be
accurately marked or labeled with its country of origin
in compliance with the laws of the United States and
those of the country of manufacture. All shipments of
merchandise will be accompanied by the requisite
documentation issued by the proper governmental
authorities, including but not limited to Form A's,
import licenses, quota allocations and visas and shall
comply with orderly marketing agreements, voluntary
restraint agreements and other such agree ments in
accordance with U.S. law. The commercial invoice shall,
in English, accurately describe all the merchandise
contained in the shipment, identify the country of origin
of each article contained in the shipment, and shall list
all payments, whether direct or indirect, to be made for
the merchandise, including, but not limited to any
assists, selling commissions or royalty pay ments. Backup
documentation, and any Wal-Mart required changes to any
documentation, will be provided by Vendor Partners
promptly.
EMPLOYMENT
Wal-Mart is a success because its associates are considered
partners and a strong level of teamwork has developed within the
Company. Wal-Mart expects the spirit of its commitment to be
reflected by its Vendor Partners with respect to their employ
ees. At a minimum, Wal-Mart expects its Vendor Partners to meet
the following terms and conditions of employment:
- Compensation
Vendor Partners shall fairly compensate their employees
by providing wages and benefits which are in compliance
with the national laws of the countries in which the
Vendor Partners are doing business and which are
consistent with the prevailing local standards in the
countries in which the Vendor Partners are doing
business, if the prevailing local standards are higher.
- Hours of Labor
Vendor Partners shall maintain reasonable employee work
hours in compli ance with local standards and applicable
national laws of the countries in which the Vendor
Partners are doing business. Employees shall not work
more hours in one week than allowable under applicable
law, and shall be compensated as appropriate for overtime
work. We favor Vendor Partners who utilize less than
sixty-hour work weeks, and we will not use suppliers who,
on a regularly scheduled basis, require employees to work
in excess of a sixty-hour week. Employees should be
permitted reasonable days off (which we define as meaning
at least one day off for every seven-day period in other
words, the employee would work six days and have at least
one day off during a seven day period) and leave
privileges.
- Forced Labor/Prison Labor
Vendor Partners shall maintain employment on a voluntary
basis. Forced or prison labor will not be tolerated by
Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart will not accept products from Vendor
Partners who utilize in any manner forced labor or prison
labor in the manufacture or in their contracting,
subcontracting or other relationships for the manufacture
of their products.
- Child Labor
Wal-Mart will not tolerate the use of child labor in the
manufacture of prod ucts it sells. We will not accept
products from Vendor Partners that utilize in any manner
child labor in their contracting, subcontracting or other
relation ships for the manufacture of their products. For
a definition of "Child", we will look first to
the national laws of the country in which the Vendor
Partner is doing business. If, however, the laws of that
country do not provide such a definition or if the
definition includes individuals below the age of 15, Wal
-Mart will define "Child", for purposes of
determining use of illegal child labor, as any one who
is:
a. less than 15 years of age; or
b. younger than the compulsory age to be in school in the
country in which the Vendor Partner is doing business, if
that age is higher than 15.
Wal-Mart supports legitimate workplace apprenticeship
education programs for younger persons.
- Discrimination/Human Rights
Wal-Mart recognizes that cultural differences exist and
different standards apply in various countries, however,
we believe that all terms and conditions of employment
should be based on an individual's ability to do the job,
not on the basis of personal characteristics or beliefs.
Wal-Mart expects its Ven dor Partners to have a social
and political commitment to basic principles of human
rights and to not discriminate against their employees in
hiring prac tices or any other terms or conditions of
work, on the basis of race, color, national origin,
gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation or
political opinion.
3. WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT
- Wal-Mart maintains a safe, clean, healthy and productive
environment for its associ ates and expects the same from
its Vendor Partners. Vendor Partners shall furnish
employees with safe and healthy working conditions.
Factories working on Wal -Mart merchandise shall provide
adequate medical facilities, fire exits and safety equip
ment, well fit and comfortable workstations, clean
restrooms, and adequate living quarters where necessary.
Wal-Mart will not do business with any Vendor Partner
which provides an unhealthy or hazardous work environment
or which utilizes men tal or physical disciplinary
practices.
4. CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
- We believe it is our role to be a leader in protecting
our environment. We encourage our customers and
associates to always Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We also
en courage our Vendor Partners to reduce excess packaging
and to use recycled and non-toxic materials whenever
possible. We will favor Vendor Partners who share our
commitment to the environment.
5. BUY AMERICAN COMMITMENT
- Wal-Mart has a strong commitment to buy as much
merchandise made in the United States as feasible. Vendor
Partners are encouraged to buy as many materials and
components from United States sources as possible and
communicate this informa tion to Wal-Mart. Further,
Vendor Partners are encouraged to establish U.S. manufac
turing operations.
6. REGULAR INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION BY VENDOR PARTNER
- Vendor Partner shall designate, on a copy of the Wal-Mart
Vendor Partner Inspection and Certification Form, one or
more of its officers to inspect each of its facilities
which produces merchandise sold to Wal-Mart. Such
inspections shall be done on at least a quarterly basis
to insure compliance with the standards, terms and
conditions set forth herein. The Vendor Partner Officer
designated to perform such inspections shall certify to
Wal-Mart following each inspection that he or she
performed such inspection and that the results reflected
on such compliance inspection form are true and correct.
7. RIGHT OF INSPECTION
- To further assure proper implementation of and compliance
with the standards set forth in this Memorandum of
Understanding, Wal-Mart or a third party designated by
Wal-Mart will undertake affirmative measures, such as
on-site inspection of produc tion facilities, to
implement and monitor said standards. Any Vendor Partner
which fails or refuses to comply with these standards is
subject to immediate cancellation by Wal-Mart of all its
outstanding orders with that Vendor Partner as well as
refusal by Wal-Mart to continue to do business in any
manner with that Vendor Partner.
As an officer of _______________________, a Vendor
Partner of Wal-Mart, I have read the principles and terms
described in this document and understand my company's
business relationship with Wal-Mart is based upon said
company being in full com pliance with these principles
and terms. I further understand that failure by a Vendor
Partner to abide by any of the terms and conditions
stated herein may result in the immediate cancellation by
Wal-Mart of all outstanding orders with that Vendor Part
ner and refusal by Wal-Mart to continue to do business in
any manner with said Vendor Partner. I am signing this
statement, as a corporate representative of
_____________________, to acknowledge, accept and agree
to abide by the stan dards, terms and conditions set
forth in this Memorandum of Understanding between my
company and Wal-Mart. I hereby affirm that all actions,
legal and corporate, to make this Agreement binding and
enforceable against ___________________ have been
completed.
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ADDRESS, TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER |
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Date: |