BONN, Germany (17 May 2016) – On 10 March 2016, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International Board of Directors agreed to maintain association with BILT Graphic Paper Products Limited (BILT), subject to a number of conditions.
BILT must submit an action plan and a progress report to FSC International outlining how they will meet the conditions set by the board no later than 24 June 2016, or FSC will disassociate from BILT. Full implementation of these conditions is required by early October 2016.
After a complaint was filed by Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) in March 2015 under the FSC-POL-01-004 Policy for Association of Organizations with FSC (FSC Policy for Association), an independent complaints panel concluded that there was clear and convincing evidence that Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), a Malaysian subsidiary of BILT, failed to uphold the principles of the International Labour Organization’s Core Conventions: Freedom of Association (Convention No. 87), and Collective Bargaining (Convention No. 98). read more