Forced & Bonded Labour

Forced or compulsory labour is all work or service which is exacted from any person under the threat of a penalty and for which the person has not offered himself or herself voluntarily.

Aaditiya Aswin Paper Mills Private Limited opposes all forms of forced labour and expects its business partners to follow the same. Workers’ freedom cannot be limited and must be protected at all times.

Aaditiya Aswin Paper Mills Private Limited does not tolerate or condone any sort of forced labour and expects its business partners to do the same.

Aaditiya Aswin Paper Mills Private Limited makes all reasonable steps to avoid using forced labour and bonded labour, in its operations or business, as well as in its contacts with third parties such as labour suppliers or recruiting agents.

The company will appoint someone to be in charge of overseeing the policy’s implementation. To protect workers against forced labour, bonded labor/debt bondage, or human trafficking, the company is committed to following all local and national laws and adopting best practises in compliance with international labour standards. And Any worker who is discovered to be a victim of forced labour, bonded labor/debt bondage, or human trafficking will be sent to existing support mechanisms by the company.

Forced labour is understood as all work or service that a person is compelled to carry out under any threat of punishment or confiscation of any personal belongings, such as ID card, passport etc., and for which work the said person has not offered him/herself voluntarily.

The following Indicators of forced labour represent the most common signs for the possible
existence of forced labour:

• Abuse of vulnerability
• Deception
• Restriction of movement
• Isolation
• Physical and sexual violence
• Intimidation and threats
• Retention of identity documents
• Withholding of wages
• Debt bondage
• Abusive work and living conditions
• Excessive overtime

The presence of only one indicator can already point to the existence of forced labour. Multiple indicators can also be observed at the same time.

Bonded labour is understood as labour not only physically bonded, but also bonded by financial debts, loans or deposits.

Forced labour does not always have to be purposeful; it can also result from and be provoked by a failure to respect and comply with labour rights.

All labour must be done voluntarily and without the threat of punishment or consequences. It is illegal to use coercive, coerced, or unpaid labour in any manner, including jail labour and unpaid overtime work. Workers will not be compelled to make deposits or provide financial guarantees, and their identifying credentials (passports, ID cards, and so on) will not be confiscated. There will be no wage payment delays. Workers’ right to terminate their employment after receiving legal notice must be respected. Workers’ right to exit the workplace and factory at the end of their shift must be honoured.