MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT
MODERN SLAVERY POLICY DECLARATION – 2023 – 2023
In accordance with the Modern Slavery Act 2018, this statement outlines the steps that Lazika tea has taken, and is continuing to take, to assess and reduce risks of modern slavery within our business and our supply chain, and our plans for review and improvement.
Introduction
Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms, such as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labor and human trafficking, all of which have in common the deprivation of a person’s liberty by another in order to exploit them for personal or commercial gain.
Lazika Tea recognizes that it has a responsibility under the Modern Slavery Act to take a strong approach to reject any forms of modern slavery and human trafficking. We are committed to promoting ethical business practices and policies that protect workers from being abused and exploited, both in our own business and our supply chain.
Lazika Tea is committed to limiting the risk of modern slavery occurring in our business, ensuring there is transparency in our business and in our approach to tackling modern slavery throughout our supply chain. We expect our employees and our suppliers to share our commitment to help ensure modern slavery does not exist in our business and our supply chain.
Who we are ?
Lazika Tea is a tea manufacturing company based in Rize/Turkey. Lazika produces Black, Green, Herbal and Fruit teas and cold drinks such Kombucha/Ice tea. Lazika operation is in the middle of tea valley, rural village. Sustainability is the key value for us in everything we do. 90% Lazika employees are women and they are full time team members.
Our Operations
We believe there is no risk of modern slavery in our directly employed workforce, as we value full time and long-term employment. Lazika is ultimately responsible for ensuring that this policy conforms with our legal and ethical commitments, as well as ensuring that all people under our control abide by it.
Lazika management at all levels is responsible for ensuring that the people reporting to them both understand and comply with this policy, as well as get proper and ongoing training. Our policy outlines clear communication pathways for employees and suppliers to disclose misconduct in our business and supply chain without fear of recrimination.
Lazika prohibits all forms of Modern Slavery and seeks to educate and influence its employees and suppliers to ensure that no form of Modern Slavery is taking place in its own business operations or in its supply chain.
Lazika employees, contractors, subcontractors, vendors, suppliers, partners, and others through whom Lazika conducts business must not engage in any practice that constitutes any form of Modern Slavery. Any employee who breaches this Policy by engaging in or conspiring to engage in any Modern Slavery conduct will face disciplinary action. This could, in the most severe circumstances include immediate dismissal for misconduct or gross misconduct and, if warranted, legal proceedings may be brought against the employee.
In addition, Lazika provides safe and fair working conditions for all its employees and ensures that no child labor is employed, in line with minimum age laws, within the countries that it operates.
Our Supply Chain
Lazika expects the same standards from all of its suppliers and, as part of its contracting processes, includes specific prohibitions against the use of forced, compulsory or trafficked labor or anyone held in slavery or servitude, whether adults or children and we expect that our suppliers will hold their own suppliers to the same standards.
The majority of our supplier’s operations are based in Australia. We believe these suppliers have a lower risk of modern slavery occurring in their supply chains, as their operations are Australian based, they are required to comply with the Modern Slavery Act within their own supply chains.
However, our procurement activities do include purchasing goods and services from potentially high-risk suppliers, who are either located in, or source their goods from, high risk countries, for example, the procurement of uniforms and promotional merchandise.
In these cases every effort is made by Lazika to ensure that the procurement of these goods and services will, as far as reasonable, be conducted in a way as to ensure that those entities that comply with their obligations under the Act. The extent of the due diligence conducted in the procurement process will depend on the types of goods or services being sourced.
Some examples of the due diligence that may be conducted include requesting:
• self-assessment/attestation that the supplier complies with various provisions;
• a copy of the supplier’s most recent Modern Slavery statement (if applicable);
• details of structure and operations of their supply chain; and/or
• details of the actions taken by the supplier to manage and address modern slavery risks in their supply chain. If a proposed contract is included as part of the procurement, consideration must be given to a provision ensuring compliance.
Summary Lazika aims to raise awareness and strengthen our understanding of the risk of modern slavery within our business, in our supply chain and in the region, we are based in. We encourage openness and will support anyone who raises genuine concerns in good faith under this Policy, even if those concerns turn out to be mistaken. Lazika will continue to review our policies and procedures to ensure that we have sound governance processes in place to meet our modern slavery compliance requirements.