Modern Slavery & Ethics Statement
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes CEL Group’s* slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2022.
Our business
CEL Group is a UK-based supply chain partner which provides sub-contract manufacturing and logistics services through quality-audited partners in the UK and China. All direct employees are based in the UK.
Our supply chain
Our supply chain is based in the UK and China as follows: –
- Sub-contractor manufacturing partners
- Facilities, maintenance and warehouse contractors
- Logistics service providers
Our commitment
CEL Group has a zero-tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking of any kind within our businesses or supply chains.
We commit to:
- The highest principles of personal and professional conduct which includes a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery.
- Acting fairly and with integrity in all business dealings and relationships, wherever in the world we operate.
- Developing and adopting a proactive approach to tackling hidden labour exploitation.
- Upholding all laws relating to slavery and human trafficking in all jurisdictions in which we operate. We are bound by UK laws, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015, in regard to our conduct both at home and abroad.
Whistleblowing
Our whistleblowing policy applies to everyone working within CEL Group, including employees, contractors and other third parties acting on behalf of CEL Group. This policy provides a mechanism for the reporting of concerns about suspected wrongdoing or dangers at work, including slavery and human trafficking violations, without fear of reprisals and it forms part of CEL Group’s induction materials for all employees.
Recruitment and employment practices
Our recruitment procedures include mandatory documentation checks to ensure that all employees are over 16 and eligible to work in the applicable territory.
As part of our recruitment policies and procedures, we comply with all relevant local laws and regulations.
We review market related pay and rewards bi-annually.
We implement initiatives to support our personnel’s physical and mental wellbeing and stress. This includes an Employee Assistance Programme and Healthcare Scheme for all UK Directors and Employees who have passed their probationary period.
We are committed to fair employment practices for our staff.
Approved suppliers
We operate approved supplier lists to support our sub-contract manufacturing service provision. All approved suppliers are subject to due diligence checks and regular reviews. We foster long-term relationships with approved suppliers, and we do not make demands nor issue instructions to suppliers that might lead to them violating human rights.
Regular visits are carried out to key supplier sites in Ningbo and Shenzhen, although inevitably these visits have not been possible recently due to travel restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ongoing assessment
Due to the nature of our business and our approach to auditing approved suppliers our UK Board of Directors considers that there is a very low risk of slavery and human trafficking in our business and supply chains. However, we will continue to review our approach and the effectiveness of our policies and procedures on an ongoing basis.
*CEL Group is the marketing name of China Enterprise UK Limited