The Nichirei Group is constantly trying to create new customer value. It does so under the Group’s corporate vision of “continuing to support good eating habits and health by leveraging our state-of-the-art manufacturing practices that optimize nature’s bounty, along with our leading-edge logistics services.” At the same time, we are helping find solutions to challenges facing our society, in an effort to be an indispensable member of society.

Recognizing that our business processes may have a direct or even an indirect effect on human rights, we have instituted the Nichirei Group Human Rights Policy (hereinafter the “policy”), based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Our policy guides us as we seek to fulfill our responsibility to respect the human rights of all our stakeholders.

Throughout the Nichirei Group, close attention is given to the human rights of employees and all individuals involved in the supply chain. In an effort to make its supply chain sustainable, the Group devised the Nichirei Group Sustainable Supply Chain Policy in April 2017.

About human rights, the policy states that, “We respect human rights and provide safe, healthy work environments.” By requiring all its suppliers to comply with the policy, the Nichirei Group is working to eliminate harassment, child labor, and discrimination against women and people with disabilities. While procuring goods and services from its suppliers, the Group encourages them to understand its policy and cooperate in putting it into practice.

The Nichirei Group believes that its employees are a precious resource, and refers to them as human assets—rather than human resources.

The Group has set up a Group-wide Group Human Resources Committee as well as a Diversity Promotion Council. Through these initiatives, information is shared and the progress attained by each company’s measures is confirmed in order to improve job satisfaction.

As each Group company promotes efforts adapted to the particular needs of its individual businesses, it is at the same time working to create a workplace full of vitality, based on the Group’s fundamental policies.

Not only are company activities becoming more globalized, but the structure of Japanese society is experiencing changes. Not least of these is that the nation’s society continues to age, while at the same time employment and work styles are undergoing significant change.

Amidst the ongoing changes, a safe and comfortable workplace environment must be created to maintain employees’ physical and mental health. Only then can each employee have a sense of satisfaction and fully harness their abilities.

Since employees are seen as irreplaceable, the Nichirei Pledge includes the need to continually enhance the workplace. The Group thus works with employees to create an active workplace environment that is safe and facilitates open communication.

In order to support the sound development of the Nichirei Group, the Nichirei Labor Union strives to ensure that the individual rights of every union member are respected. This is based on the principle of equality among members of labor and management, as well as the union’s vision of a workplace environment with mutual incentives to work.

The union considers labor–management negotiations to be important. It thus narrows down the demands of its members and pushes for workplace improvements, all the while maintaining a productive relationship with management.

Both union and management work together to achieve a framework to ensure respect for human rights and strict compliance with laws and regulations.

The goals are to ensure safety, increase job satisfaction, and help union members and employees alike to maintain good mental and physical health.

In order to fulfill its mission statement, the Group is striving to enhance its workplaces, as part of the CSR activities included in the Nichirei Pledge.

Another important policy is encapsulated in the Group’s corporate philosophy, which requires us to focus on our employees, while preventing discrimination based on gender, age, education, race, or religion, as well as providing equal opportunity.