Fresh produce giant Dole's Phillipines' branch, Dolefil, could lose its Social Accountability 8000 (SA 8000) accreditation by failing to meet labour standards, Business World has reported.
The company sells pineapple solids, canned fruit, canned drinks, packaged fruit snacks and tomato sauce.
Inspection and certification body Societe Generalle de Surveillance (SGS) said it had verified one major and two minor non-conformities by Dolefil from 23-27 March, and the company had until Friday 25 June to address the issues.
"The major non-conformity has been raised against the standard requirement freedom of association ... and the two minor non-conformity raised were related to control of suppliers and health and safety," wrote Marina Piloni,SGS SA 8000 global product manager, in a letter dated 6 June.
According to the SGS website, SA 8000 is an international certification standard that encourages organisations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable practices in the workplace.
Created in 1989, it is viewed as the most globally accepted independent workplace standard. The areas it address include forced and child labour, health and safety, freedom of association and collective bargaining, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, compensation and management systems.
