6.3.2

Principle 6: Respect for rights of actors involved in BioTrade activities

Criteria	Guidance	Evidence & Scoring	Importance & Applicability
Criteria 6.3: Criteria 6.3: Workers’ rights are respected 6.3.2 Formal commitment and targets are in place to advance towards a living wage for workers.	The UEBT preferred reference for living wage is the Global Living Wage Coalition (GLWC) and the Anker methodology. The total remuneration (wages as cash and in-kind benefits) should be assessed against a living wage benchmark in accordance with the GLWC. As defined by the GLWC, a living wage is the remuneration received for a standard workweek by a worker in a particular place sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the worker and her or his family. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, health care, transportation, clothing, and other essential needs, including provision for unexpected events. In-kind benefits can be valued and considered to reach a living wage benchmark or reference values. In-kind benefits are defined by the GLWC as non-monetary benefits such as food, transport, and housing that reduce the amount of cash income that workers need for a decent standard of living. A fair and reasonable value for in-kind benefits provided needs to be taken into consideration. What is considered valid are, for example: highly subsidised or donated food services, transport service from home to the workplace and vice versa, school supplies and uniforms, private medical services, and family housing, valued at a local rate opportunity. In-kind benefits cannot represent more than 30% of the total remuneration, as too great a reliance on non-monetary benefits hinders empowerment and free choice (reference: GLWC). 'Formal commitment' in this context will depend on the structure of each organisation and is not restricted to a documented (written) commitment. This can also consider organised meetings to discuss strategies towards living wages, internal policies dealing with this topic, group discussions for a sector-wide approach regarding decent living conditions, etc. The following UEBT tools are available to help assess this criterion (contact us at certification@uebt.org for more information): UEBT references to available living wage benchmarks (and estimates) guidance for minimum wage and living wage	INTERVIEWS Conversations to employer (HR responsible person or other relevant person) to discuss the wages of workers and how they commit to the payment of living wage. Ask them how they calculate the living wages. DOCUMENTATION Studies and other tools that the employer uses to calculate the applicable living wages for the different workers. Living wage benchmark (or living wage estimates) that would apply for the sector and the local context (UEBT preferred reference is a benchmark from the Global Living Wage Coalition, possibly with adjustments for sector and region). Scoring guidance 0 - There is no commitment and/or targets in place to advance towards a living wage for workers and nothing done yet to understand the applicable living wage for the workers 1 - There are some steps taken to assess the living wage in the sector for the workers, but actions taken are not sufficient to close gaps and/or not part of a formal strategy 2 - Commitment and targets are in place to advance towards a living wage for workers and actions are in place to understand and assess the applicable living wage for the workers. Living wages are not yet paid to (all) workers, but a strategy is in place to gradually close the gap. 3 - 80% or more of the workers are getting paid a living wage Score 2 to be reached by third year	Importance Critical stepwise Applicability Cultivation & wild collection OaS Sub-suppliers Field operators

Criteria

Guidance

Evidence & Scoring

Importance & Applicability

Criteria 6.3: Criteria 6.3: Workers’ rights are respected

6.3.2

Formal commitment and targets are in place to advance towards a living wage for workers.

The UEBT preferred reference for living wage is the Global Living Wage Coalition (GLWC) and the Anker methodology. The total remuneration (wages as cash and in-kind benefits) should be assessed against a living wage benchmark in accordance with the GLWC. As defined by the GLWC, a living wage is the remuneration received for a standard workweek by a worker in a particular place sufficient to afford a decent standard of living for the worker and her or his family. Elements of a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, health care, transportation, clothing, and other essential needs, including provision for unexpected events. In-kind benefits can be valued and considered to reach a living wage benchmark or reference values. In-kind benefits are defined by the GLWC as non-monetary benefits such as food, transport, and housing that reduce the amount of cash income that workers need for a decent standard of living. A fair and reasonable value for in-kind benefits provided needs to be taken into consideration. What is considered valid are, for example: highly subsidised or donated food services, transport service from home to the workplace and vice versa, school supplies and uniforms, private medical services, and family housing, valued at a local rate opportunity. In-kind benefits cannot represent more than 30% of the total remuneration, as too great a reliance on non-monetary benefits hinders empowerment and free choice (reference: GLWC). 'Formal commitment' in this context will depend on the structure of each organisation and is not restricted to a documented (written) commitment. This can also consider organised meetings to discuss strategies towards living wages, internal policies dealing with this topic, group discussions for a sector-wide approach regarding decent living conditions, etc. The following UEBT tools are available to help assess this criterion (contact us at certification@uebt.org for more information):

UEBT references to available living wage benchmarks (and estimates)

guidance for minimum wage and living wage

INTERVIEWS

Conversations to employer (HR responsible person or other relevant person) to discuss the wages of workers and how they commit to the payment of living wage. Ask them how they calculate the living wages.

DOCUMENTATION

Studies and other tools that the employer uses to calculate the applicable living wages for the different workers. Living wage benchmark (or living wage estimates) that would apply for the sector and the local context (UEBT preferred reference is a benchmark from the Global Living Wage Coalition, possibly with adjustments for sector and region).

Scoring guidance

0 - There is no commitment and/or targets in place to advance towards a living wage for workers and nothing done yet to understand the applicable living wage for the workers
1 - There are some steps taken to assess the living wage in the sector for the workers, but actions taken are not sufficient to close gaps and/or not part of a formal strategy
2 - Commitment and targets are in place to advance towards a living wage for workers and actions are in place to understand and assess the applicable living wage for the workers. Living wages are not yet paid to (all) workers, but a strategy is in place to gradually close the gap.
3 - 80% or more of the workers are getting paid a living wage

Score 2 to be reached by third year

Importance
Critical stepwise

Applicability

Cultivation & wild collection

OaS

Sub-suppliers

Field operators

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6.3.2

Principle 6: Respect for rights of actors involved in BioTrade activities

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