In the interest of complying with the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact, below are some of the activities that LAVCO has been developing on the 4 fronts that group them: Human rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-corruption.
1. HUMAN RIGHTS
The company has begun the systematic evaluation of the level of respect for the human rights of workers, demanding strict compliance parameters from the entire body of coordinators.
We have the Coexistence Committee, duly constituted, which also promotes concrete actions in this regard.
We are initiating concrete actions towards our suppliers, involving them in this matter.
2. LABOUR
The company does not contemplate the hiring of minors in any of its productive activities.
We have incorporated this labor standard in the linkage and evaluation of suppliers. Within the categories of products and services, those that are most susceptible to this problem have been identified, finding the highest risk in the supply of coal. Therefore, it has been verified and committed to our suppliers of this item, as well as to the sand suppliers, so that they guarantee their commitment to it.
Our company is small enough so that the Management can monitor and guarantee that no contract of this type is made.
- Labour inclusion of personnel in a situation of disability
LAVCO has promoted work for people with some level of disability, provided they have the basic skills to develop a specific trade. This is how we currently have 2 people with hearing disabilities, one in the foundry area and another in the area of machining who has just been pensioned.
In our company there are also no age or gender restrictions for any position, except those whose very nature implies some specific physical condition to be executed.
This also means that for the different vacancies within the company, women and men are hired under equal conditions.
In the case of workers who have accompanied us for several years, they remain hired even when they are about to retire, even in the case of some who perform physical tasks who, despite not being able to perform them properly, remain in the company until they manage to achieve their pension.
LAVCO maintains a policy of total openness to the hiring of people of all ages, from very young without work experience, to people over 50 years old, who are placed in positions according to their age, experience and competence.
LAVCO maintains total openness in all positions, to give job opportunities to women.
Women are hired in jobs that they are able to perform in both operational and administrative positions, granting them equal pay with respect to men.
Flexible conditions are granted for mothers, especially heads of households.
- Support for workers who study
Special workdays are granted for those employees, whose tasks have flexible hours, allowing them to study. Through this benefit we currently have more than 20 workers in technical, technological and university studies currently.
- Support for labour reinsertion processes at the hands of the ACR
LAVCO is part of the 10M group with which, the ACR (Colombian Agency for Reintegration) created in 2014 the project: “Soldadores de Paz” supporting reinserted people, who were supported with the development of a training according to the needs of the private sector and providing them with opportunities to practice as SENA Apprentices. We are open to participate in similar exercises that in the post-conflict period that Colombia is going through will surely emerge.
- Support for students in practice
The SENA apprentice quota is respected according to the Law, but in addition, students are kept in practice and for degree projects of different faculties and universities of the region, allowing them to execute in LAVCO, the activities that their academic commitments demand, with a high level of accompaniment, requirement and collaboration.
Likewise, students of technical colleges in the SENA agreement are admitted for the same purposes.
- Support for banking, financing and recovery of credit life
Financing opportunities have been negotiated with financial providers for our workers, seeking the cessation of their extra-banking loans, and investing in personal projects, or solving past financial problems that left them without access to this opportunity.
- Support for access to housing credits
LAVCO has been promoting that its workers apply to the decent housing programs offered by the national government, achieving that in the last period, more than 12 AFC accounts have been opened for programmed savings and 4 workers will be able to receive their housing and the current subsidies for this matter.
3. ENVIRONMENT
The management of LAVCO around environmental issues includes activities such as:
-Induction to workers on the environmental management of the company.
-Signalization in plant
-Use of appropriate containers for recycling that is permanently done.
-Delivery of hazardous waste and all the ordinary ones that we can select and classify to expert operators in the handling and reuse of them.
The company responsibly collects various hazardous wastes such as:
- Batteries and batteries
- Light bulbs
- Electronic waste
- Tires
- Used industrial and cooking oil
- Expired medications
These items are collected and delivered to participate in several post-consumer days promoted by the ANDI (National Association of Industrialists) of which the company is affiliated. In addition, management is done on environmental impact issues such as:
The gas heating system has been maintained for the Casting section, which saves 6 tons of raw materials per month and increases the quality and productivity of that section.
- Commitment to the environment
Through the Santa Rosa farm, adjacent to the company, a permanent forest plan is maintained to take care of more than forty thousand trees of various species and three water births duly registered with the environmental authority.
The company ensures the care of the edge of the Quebrada Menzuly in its journey through the back of the company, verifying that waste, garbage, etc. are not thrown into it.
The company remains surrounded by nature in the middle of well-maintained gardens.
- Support for environmental actions promoted by various instances:
LAVCO participated in all the post-consumer days that the National Association of Industrialists (ANDI) organizes periodically. In addition, the company was linked to the Carbon Footprint Measurement: a pioneering exercise in the country that was carried out within the framework of the Energy Efficiency Program of the Mining and Energy Planning Unit – UPME and the United Nations Organization for Industrial Development – UNIDO, and ANDI. It was made between May 2015 and June 2016.
Although it is in the interest of LAVCO to participate in a Water Footprint Measurement Program, it was not possible to achieve it, mainly due to its cost, in the most recent Program promoted by the National Center for Cleaner Production and Environmental Technologies in association with Quantis and ANDI.
- Energy efficiency: LAVCO is registered in the EEI Colombia Program for the promotion of energy efficiency in Colombian industry, which is a joint initiative of UPME, UNIDO and ANDI whose objective is to strengthen the country’s technical and technological capabilities. A LAVCO engineer has initiated a diploma in the subject and enormous benefits are expected for the company.
- UNIDO Project: LAVCO is registered to participate in the Sustainable and Inclusive Industrial Development Program of the Automotive Supply Chain through the improvement of the Quality and Productivity of the UNIDO.
4. ANTI-CORRUPTION
LAVCO is managed with strict adherence to business ethics.
It is strictly forbidden to venture into businesses where there is a direct or indirect need to handle bribes or any other type of dishonest act.
Our participation in bids and calls is totally limited to the honest exercise of our work and not to request or give perks outside of the Law.