SA8000 is the "Social Responsibility Standard", which is the English abbreviation of Social Accountability 8000. It is the first international standard of ethics in the world. Its purpose is to ensure that the products supplied by suppliers meet the requirements of social responsibility standards.

The SA8000 standard is applicable to companies of all sizes, anywhere in the world, in any industry. Its basis is the same as the ISO9000 quality management system and the ISO14000 environmental management system, both of which are a set of international standards that can be audited by third-party certification agencies.

1. Background:

The emergence of SA8000 is due to the development of humanities and society, that is, with the development of social economy, all walks of life pay attention to labor protection. At the same time, it is also the product of the unbalanced competition pattern in the international market. Although ethics and international trade belong to two completely different fields, after the end of the Cold War, the political and economic pattern of the world has undergone tremendous changes. The take-off of newly industrialized countries has caused developed countries to lose their advantages in the international market of traditional products. In many fields, newly industrialized countries have become competitors of developed countries. In order to curb the means and ways for developing countries to improve their competitiveness, some developed countries seek to build various non-tariff trade barriers. In the international commodity market, countries that manufacture cheap labor-intensive products export a large number of their cheap products to the markets of developed countries, impacting the domestic markets of developed countries. linked to the Generalized System of Preferences implemented by developing countries.

Globally, corporate social responsibility is driven by two social forces. One force is the labor movement against the globalization of capital. The intensification of labor conflicts and the decline of labor status have led labor organizations to demand the promotion and implementation of international labor standards in enterprises to protect labor rights. Another social force is the implementation of "labor trade barriers" SA8000. Cheap products from developing countries constitute a shock to markets and jobs in developed countries. Developed countries in Europe and the United States attempt to link with international trade through social clauses to weaken the comparative advantages of developing countries and implement trade protection and non-tariff barriers.

The development of the times has made people's attention to culture to an unprecedented height. The implementation of the so-called corporate social responsibility standard SA8000 is a collision of global cultures and values. The growing global CSR movement is to encourage enterprises to repay the society with ethical and moral actions while enjoying the freedom and opportunities given by the society. Global corporate social responsibility and corporate culture complement each other, influence each other and develop together.

2. Nine elements of SA8000 standard

1. Child labor

2. Forced labor

3. Health and Safety

4. Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

5. Discrimination

6. Disciplinary measures

7. Working hours

8. Salary and remuneration

9. Management system a