Kinder Eggs case: Ferrero investigation on Romexa and Prolegis concludes suppliers observe code of conduct. Further investigations expected following ‘The Sun’ feature

An independent auditor conducted in May this year, on behalf of Ferrero, checks at Romexa suppliers and at sub-contractor Prolegis and concluded that the firms observe the company’s Code of Conduct, Ferrero Romania informs after the information released by ‘The Sun’.

The company says, in a release, it will investigate ‘The Sun’ claims and has already taken measures against non-compliant practices.

Ferrero says it has a strict code of conduct for its suppliers, which is included in the contract. The code imperatively rejects children labour in factories and states that employees should have a guaranteed income at least at the level of the local or national minimum wage for the normal work schedule and overtime paid.

The audit to Romexa and Prolegis was conducted by SGS, world leader in inspection, checks, testing and certification, the communiqué informs.

The case revealed by The Sun is also investigated by the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) and by the Labour Inspectorate.

According to a feature released by the British newspaper ‘The Sun’ Romanian kids aged six get 22p an hour as “slave” labour making Kinder Egg toys.

They are in families toiling 13 hours a day at home in Romania to assemble the treats for chocolate giant Ferrero.

The families have do work from home where conditions are tough and there are no hygiene controls in place. Among them are Timea Jurj, 30, her husband Christian, 41, children Patrick, 11, Hannah, six, and Timea’s niece Tamara, also six, ‘The Sun’ informed.

The mother has told the Romanian media that everything is a frame-up. The mother denied the whole story. Timea Jurj said she did not understand everything in English and that the kids do not work 13 hours a day.

She said that many of their answers were changed by the journalists with ‘The Sun’ and that they have promised her husband a job in England. She claims she is very scared and is thinking about possible consequences.

Timea Jurj claims the journalists told her they want to promote the Kinder Eggs and want to find out how they are produced and she fell into their trap. “Nothing is true. It was a frame-up, they told the children to stay in certain positions, they were told to have a photo together with me. You can see in the picture the children are smiling. In no way they worked on the Kinder Eggs or in no way I exploited them. They told me they want to promote the Kinder Eggs, as they are expensive in England and want to find out how they are produced from the beginning to the very end. I fell into their trap.”

Photo: The Sun

careiCode of conductDIICOTfeatureFerreroKinder eggsLabour InspectorateProlegisRomexas;ave workSGSsuppliersThe SunTimea Jurj
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