EMPOWERING PEOPLE
Social justice, gender equality and empowerment are at the core of SABA’s ethos.
Behind every SABA garment is a wealth of people who have had an instrumental role in creating the piece that makes you feel strong, empowered and safe. We want to ensure everyone who leaves their touch on your clothing is treated fairly, can work with dignity, and is valued for their skill and expertise.
SABA is currently working with leading human rights organisations on bold new initiatives to build resilience, opportunity and equality throughout our supply chain.
We’re proud to share all that we’ve been doing to create a fairer and more just fashion industry.
SUPPLY CHAIN & TRACING
We partner with industry experts to ensure we deliver both beautiful quality products and strong ethical standards. We have been working with many of our supply partners for a decade or more, and maintaining these long-standing relationships of trust and mutual respect means we have excellent visibility throughout our supply chain.
We trace and audit all of our garment and accessories facilities (Tier 1), and no SABA product can be made at any factory before an audit is complete and the facility has met our requirements. This is not where we stop though – our goal is to have full traceability back to the creation of the producers of the fibre that makes our clothes. We have full visibility of the majority of our fabric suppliers (Tier 2) and some of our yarn suppliers (Tier 3). This is an ongoing process, and we will continue to work towards 100% traceability as a central pillar of our human rights strategy.
View our current factory list at our corporate group website >
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION CALL TO ACTION
SABA, through our parent company APG & Co, is a signatory to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Call to Action ‘COVID-19: Action in the Global Garment Industry’. The Call to Action is a global initiative which brings together a collective of fashion brands, trade unions, not-for-profits and government organisations to take joint action and provide support to apparel manufacturers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Please visit the ILO website to see the brands which are supporting the Call To Action >
CODE OF CONDUCT AND GLOBAL SOURCING PRINCIPLES
SABA requires all new suppliers to agree and adhere to our Code of Conduct and Global Sourcing Principles. These policies set out the minimum standards of ethical and responsible behaviour SABA expects from its suppliers and business partners. It is based on International Labour Organization (ILO) standards, national legislative requirements and accepted best business practice.
MODERN SLAVERY
We are committed to upholding the rights of workers in our supply chain by meeting international labour standards.
It is critical that we recognise our responsibility in eradicating modern slavery from fashion supply chains. The majority of garment workers are women of colour who are often left vulnerable to poor or exploitative working conditions. Everyone deserves to work with dignity and self-determination, in a safe and supportive environment.
Together with our suppliers, we are working towards ensuring the rights of workers are met and respected, and that ethical behaviours are adopted across all operations. This is part of our commitment to improving social justice in our industry.
Cotton is a key area of concern for us. The EUFL coalition believes that 1 in 5 cotton garments on the global market has involved Uighur forced labour in its supply chain. It is our commitment to try not to source any yarn, textiles or apparel from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or any other region profiting from human rights violations and forced labour.
We are proud to have been rated in the top 10 Australian apparel companies achieving Modern Slavery compliance in ‘Broken Promises: Two years of corporate reporting under Australia’s Modern Slavery Act’.
Download our 2021 Modern Slavery Statement > (2022 statement coming soon)
LIVING WAGE
A living wage aims to ensure that in a standard 48 hour work week, a person can afford a decent living for themselves and their family, including food, water, housing, education, health care, transport, unexpected emergencies, and other essentials for a simple but secure life (as per Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights). This differs from a minimum wage, which doesn’t always guarantee these rights are met.
What constitutes a living wage will vary between countries and even the regions within a country, but unfortunately there is still no universal standard that ensures fair and just wages are accessible for all.
As part of our commitment to human rights, we are working towards understanding and improving the wage systems for all workers in our supply chain. Through making this commitment, SABA is sharing the ambitions of governments, humanitarian organsations and a growing legion of brands working towards closing the gap between the minimum wage and a living wage.
What’s Next?
We are committed to better futures for everyone involved in bringing our products to life.
By 2025 we aim to:
Acting on our commitment to social welfare and gender equality through partnering with a leading human rights organisation
Establish worker empowerment programs in our key factories
Celebrate the expertise of our supply partners with dedicated profiles
Improve visibility across all tiers of our supply chain by partnering with an integrated tracing platform
Work with industry experts to build on our commitment to a Living Wage
