The Code of Conduct
The main principles of the Code are:
- Swedish Match does not tolerate child labor as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Neither does the Group accept forced labor or any form of discrimination, such as in respect of ethnic background, religion, age or gender. The Group maintains that all employees are entitled to voluntarily join associations in accordance with local legislation and regulations.
- Swedish Match strives to create a good work environment that safeguards health and safety in the workplace and provides opportunities for personal development and job satisfaction.
- Swedish Match shall adhere to accepted business practices and act in accordance with the Group’s ethical norms and expectations.
- Recruitment of, and remuneration to employees shall always be based on competence, qualifications and experience. Ethnic background, language, religion, skin color, gender, economic or other social status may not influence such decisions.
- Swedish Match strives to continuously reduce the environmental impact of our business in order to safeguard the environment.
- Swedish Match’s policy regarding tobacco reflects the Group’s global commitment to offering high-quality tobacco products to adult consumers, persons above the age of 18, while respecting the demands and expectations that society places on an international supplier of tobacco products.
- Swedish Match encourages its suppliers to establish and follow their own ethical policies and guidelines in line with international conventions.
- Swedish Match complies with the national laws and regulations of the countries in which it operates. Individual business units must never fail to comply with national laws and regulations but may go above and beyond them.
The parts in the Code of Conduct relating to social responsibility are based on international conventions on human rights and terms of employment, such as the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the central ILO conventions and the OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.