Modern Slavery Statement

BAMFORD BUS COMPANY LIMITED trading as Wrightbus (“Group”) IS COMMITTED TO REGULARLY REVIEWING AND IMPROVING OUR PRACTICES TO HELP COMBAT SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING.

This Statement sets out the steps taken by the Group to identify potential risks or effects of modern slavery on our business, as well as the actions which have been taken by the Group to ensure there is no slavery or human trafficking in our own business or our supply chain. It relates to actions and activities during the financial year 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022.

ORGANISATION STRUCTURE & BUSINESS

The Group designs, develops and manufactures public transport vehicles for the domestic and international markets. The Group is registered in Oxford but headquartered in Ballymena, Northern Ireland and we employ over 800 employees worldwide with locations in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. The Group’s guiding values are published on our corporate website and demonstrate our commitment to conducting our business in accordance with the core values of honesty, integrity and accountability. The Group aims to ensure there is a continuous focus on the rights and well-being of our employees – and those of our suppliers – to ensure that they are treated fairly and with respect.

OUR SUPPLY CHAIN

Our Supply Chain is overseen by the Managing Director. The procurement activity for the Group is mainly centralised at our headquarters in Northern Ireland, which enables us to ensure consistency and cohesion when working with suppliers and to monitor their performance. We procure a wide range of goods and services from suppliers based in the United Kingdom and overseas.

OUR POLICIES ON SLAVERY & HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The Group has a Supplier Code of Conduct which we expect our suppliers to adhere to. This Code reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains.

The Supplier Code of Conduct makes specific reference to slavery and human trafficking as well as the requirement for our suppliers to ensure their employees have fair working conditions:

• Forced, bonded or compulsory labour must not be used.
• Employees should be free to leave employment at any time after reasonable notice.
• Employees should not be required to lodge identity papers or other valuable items with their employer, on an indefinite basis.
• Employees’ employment conditions should be clearly communicated to them.
• Employees should be fairly and reasonably paid in line with applicable wage laws relating to minimum wages, overtime hours and legally mandated benefits.
• There shall be no harsh or inhumane treatment of workers such as verbal or physical abuse.

 

DUE DILIGENCE PROCESSES FOR SLAVERY & HUMAN TRAFFICKING

 

As part of our initiative to identify and mitigate risk we have in place systems to conduct supplier visits and audits both locally and overseas. The audits allow members of the Group procurement team and supplier quality assurance team to visit the supplier’s facilities and ensure that they are adhering to the principles set out in the Code of Conduct.

The Group is currently reviewing additional due diligence when considering taking on new suppliers and any related measures adopted will form part of our Statement for the next financial year.

This Statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our Group's slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2021.

 

Bamford Bus Company Ltd Trading as Wrightbus