Ethical sourcing: how we choose and check factories
Bangladesh has made real progress since 2013 — and buyers are right to ask hard questions. Here is exactly what we check, what we refuse, and what you can see.
What we check before a factory joins our network
A factory is only listed after a site visit by our team, a document review and a social audit less than 24 months old.
- Valid social auditamfori BSCI A–C, SMETA or WRAP within 24 months; corrective action plans reviewed.
- Fire and building safetyRSC (formerly Accord) or Nirapon listing; fire exits, alarms and drills checked on our visit.
- No subcontracting without consentWritten agreement; unannounced visits during production.
- Wages and hoursMinimum wage compliance, overtime within legal limits, payslips sampled.
Code of conduct
Our supplier code of conduct is aligned with the ILO core conventions. These are its main commitments.
- No forced, bonded or child labourResponsible recruitment with no recruitment fees charged to workers.
- Freedom of associationWorkers may organise and bargain collectively; grievance channels are open to them.
- Safe, legal workplacesBuilding, fire and electrical safety, lawful hours and minimum-wage compliance.
Accord and RSC: where we stand
The Accord on Fire and Building Safety was succeeded in Bangladesh by the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC). We treat RSC (or Nirapon) listing as a condition for a factory to join our network, and we look at fire exits, alarms and drills ourselves on the visit.
- Listing is a condition, not a bonusNo RSC or Nirapon listing, no place in the network.
- We check on siteA listing does not replace our own walk-through of the building.
What we refuse
Some programmes are not worth the risk to workers or to your brand. We decline them and say why.
- Impossible lead timesDeadlines that can only be met with illegal overtime.
- Prices below costA target FOB under the fabric-plus-minimum-wage floor is a red flag, not a negotiation.
- Unaudited subcontractorsNo order moves to a unit we have not visited.
What you can see
Transparency is a feature of the platform, not a PDF on request.
- Factory profile on quote acceptanceName, location, audit dates, certifications, capacity.
- Visit reportsDated reports with photos from each of our factory visits, in your portal.
- Supply-chain documentationReady for the EU forced-labour regulation, German LkSG and French duty-of-vigilance requests.
Raise a concern
Buyers, workers and visitors can raise a labour, safety or conduct concern with us directly. Write to the address below with “Grievance” in the subject line. We acknowledge every report and track it to closure; where a risk is found we agree a corrective action plan with the factory and follow it up.
- hello@gigasourcingbd.comUse the subject line “Grievance” so the message reaches the right person.
- Our full statementPolicies, due diligence and remediation are set out on the modern slavery statement page.
Questions buyers ask
Do you work with factories that use subcontractors?
Only with written consent and only to units we have visited and listed. Unannounced visits during production check this.
How do you handle the EU forced-labour regulation?
We keep factory-level documentation (audits, wage records sampled, visit reports) per programme and provide it on request in the format your compliance team needs.
Can I bring my own auditor?
Yes. We coordinate access and timing with the factory.
What about the environment?
Wet processing is the main impact. We prefer ZDHC-listed wash plants and share water and chemical data when a buyer asks.
Want the documents for your file?
We send certificates, audit summaries and factory profiles per programme, once you accept a quote.