The NGO Human Resources Without Borders (RHSF) wins the bronze medal in the "Innovation for Business" category at the 10th edition of the 2016 Trophy for purchasing.

The NGO Human Resources Without Borders (RHSF) wins the bronze medal in the “Innovation for Business” category at the 10th edition of the 2016 Trophy for purchasing.

Press release Responsible HRM

Published on Jun 21, 2016

The NGO Human Resources Without Borders created in 2006 by Martine Combemale and Jacques Igalens, which aims to act globally to ensure respect for human rights and fight against forced labour, has just won the bronze medal in the “Innovation for Business” category of the Trophy for purchasing for its work within the Chinese company Polyunion. Human Resources Without Borders is the only NGO to compete for this award.

“We are very pleased to win this award. It rewards our work and enhances the value of this exciting project that we carried out over two years thanks to a partnership with a Chinese company and its French client. We have achieved extremely positive results for both the employees and the subcontractor. A book is being prepared as well as training courses to make this experience useful to everyone so that human rights at work can be improved while respecting everyone,” says Martine Combemale, director of the NGO Human Resources Without Borders (RHSF).

At the initiative of the NGO Human Resources Without Borders (RHSF), a CSR project was designed over a two-year period in partnership with a French client (the Petzl company) and its subcontractor in China. The project sought a concrete way to reconcile the imperatives of competitiveness with respect for human rights and international labor law, for the benefit of all stakeholders.

The results measured throughout the two years spent in full immersion in the Chinese company by RHSF show that it is possible, in compliance with the CSR policies of the client and the culture of the supplier, to improve working conditions, reduce excessive overtime (in accordance with international law), reduce turnover in a very significant and sustainable way while improving quality and productivity. These results have proven that it is possible to improve human rights at work without compromising the company’s economic interests. Turnover has been reduced from 100% to 5% per year. Productivity has increased by 10% and product quality has been improved. A health and safety policy has been implemented. The new remuneration policy has made it possible to reduce working hours within the legal limits and without loss of salary.

A CGT delegation, led by Bernard Thibault, visited the plant in December 2015 and congratulated the work of Human Resources Without Borders on site. The CGT members were also able to freely rub shoulders with employees at their workstations, talk with supervisors, and see for themselves the working conditions at the plant.

Testimony of Mr. Li, General Manager of the company in China.

“We started working with RHSF thanks to our client Petzl, who helped us implement a CSR policy in our company. We then decided to work directly with RHSF because their great asset is that they are integrated into the company through the presence of a person who is constantly in the field. Thus, RHSF takes into account the non conformities, our difficulties and thus understands all our problems. Thanks to its experience and expertise, RHSF has helped us adapt theoretical models, and its help has been invaluable in the deployment of the project. RHSF is helping us build and implement a “socially responsible” HRM system in practice. Working with an NGO gave us the opportunity to better understand our employees, to listen to them, to give them confidence, to listen to us as well, while taking the time necessary to achieve our objectives. »

See the interview of Mr. Li, General Manager of the company in China.

Testimony of Clement Cellier, doctoral student. Thesis on “Corporate social responsibility and capitalism in the People’s Republic of China”.

“Aware of the limits of CSR systems focused solely on bringing factories into compliance with the codes of conduct of international brands, RHSF has been able to go beyond this approach by promoting dialogue between the Petzl client and its subcontractor. The program implemented has tackled head-on the major problems encountered by Chinese employees in the industry (working hours and level of pay, health and safety, discrimination), with significant efforts made to adapt to local constraints (intense competition between Chinese companies and the international community).

HRWF has also obtained in 2015, in partnership with the IAE of Toulouse and Neoma Business School, the Atlas-AFMI (Association francophone de management international) – CCMP award for the best case of international management, for this project. As well as an important recognition from the academic world. This project will be presented in China on July 13th. Orange outsourcing has invited Human Resources Without Borders to be held in Beijing on the theme: “The first step towards economic change”. This meeting is co-organized with the International Social Observatory, the French CCI in China and Fr3C (French business club in China). It will take place in 3 sessions:

  • How can CSR be a powerful tool to retain skilled workers? During its intervention Human Resources Without Borders will present the work done within the company of the subcontractor in China.
  • How can the green energy strategy be an accelerator for the business?
  • Health and safety at work.
  • Focus on the Trophy for purchasing.

Trophy for purchasing is the unmissable event for purchasing professionals. The 10th edition took place on June 20th at the Mogador Theater. It brings together every year more than a thousand purchasing professionals and highlights the latest innovations and best practices selected by a jury of experts.