The Fair Labour Association to ride new waves and get wind in their sails with the SESTAR group.
Paddleboarding, windsurfing, surfing, kiteboarding, wingboarding, environmental action apparel and Olympic disciplines, this is SESTAR.
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The group that holds Starboard, Airush, Severne, and SOMWR has just become a member of the Fair Labour Association (FLA), the first watersports equipment brand to be working towards FLA accreditation.
What does this mean?
It was simply time to communicate and document our efforts over the last 2 decades with a trusted association. Many industries are talking about equal treatment, supply chain changes.
Where did the idea come from?
Inspiring our journey with the Fair Labour Association comes from the formation of SESTAR’s newest portfolio member, SOMWR. With SOMWR we are implementing all experience and knowledge from 20 years of active environmental protection. Not only from an ecological point of view but also in terms of human rights and transparency. Our brands share many of these values, while also using much of the same supply chain. In addition, detailed reporting is required, so the group decided to work together towards accreditation. This brings the SESTAR brands closer together to support everyone involved in the company’s success.
Timo Perschke (Managing Director of SOMWR) states:
“The world is only black and white. Globalization brings many challenges, so products are different in design in different markets. Tastes are different. What must not happen is that one market profits from the weaknesses of another market. Rather it should be in such a way that the strong partner supports the weak! What drives us, however, is not to repeat mistakes and to start new projects in a forward-looking way. The fact that we have now found our way to the FLA with SOMWR as the first water sports brand is a huge success for everyone.’
What does it mean will happen?
Our partnerships with suppliers are not changing. A close relationship with all our partners has always been at the top of SESTAR’s list. It is clear. Working towards accreditation with the Fair Labour Association is not a ‘one-off audit’ scenario. We have deliberately made a long-term commitment to engage in an open dialogue with the FLA and other companies. The more transparent our supply chain can be, the better and faster we build upon improvements.
Quote from Svein Rasmussen CEO of Starboard:
‘We at SESTAR come from the ocean and are looking forward to getting started by working on bringing our main suppliers onboard with FLA.
So far the Starboard and SOMWR brands are 10x Climate positive and are mainly focusing on environmental protection. Furthermore, with the FLA we now have guidance to step up our game. Ensuring that all the people in our matrix will be looked after properly.’
Quote from Sharon Waxman, FLA President and CEO:
‘SESTAR Limited is making an important commitment to protecting and promoting workers’ rights with its Fair Labor Association affiliation. We look forward to supporting SESTAR’s efforts to raise the bar for the workers who manufacture its wind and water equipment and apparel.’
More about the FLA
The Fair Labour Association works with universities, civil society organisations and selected companies to help to protect workers rights across the world. Additionally, they set standards that create lasting change. Some aspects of this include; ensuring Trade Unions are recognised within the workplace, rehiring the workers who have been unfairly fired and ensuring they get back pay, a prominent issue since COVID-19 came into our lives. Moreover, there are many areas in which the Fair Labour Association assists the management and workers of all facilities. You can read more about the Fair Labour Association on their website here.
More about SESTAR
SESTAR is the parent company that brings together four international brands from the watersports and apparel industries: Starboard, Severne, Airush and SOMWR. Not only do our products promote a healthy and active lifestyle but they aim to educate customers about the social and environmental impact of their purchasing decisions. We are committed to creating a positive impact from each of the brand’s development headquarters in Thailand, South Africa, Australia and Germany to our distributors, consumers and suppliers across the globe.
