Compliance – GMH Gruppe

Compliance and sustainability at GMH Gruppe

General standard of conduct at GMH Gruppe

GMH Gruppe is a sustainably successful company and intends to remain that way in the long term. Sustainable success is only possible if we are permanently perceived as a partner of integrity by our business partners. For us, respect for and compliance with the applicable laws of the individual jurisdictions in which our companies operate is therefore a matter of course. In particular, this requires that we comply at all times with the law in the areas of criminal corruption and antitrust law. Short-term success cannot justify sustainable corporate success if it had to be achieved by breaking rules or using unfair methods. Rule violations destroy reputation and trust. Integrity in business and sustainable economic success are therefore two sides of the same coin for us. Overall, we pursue the goal of a corporate culture characterized by integrity, respect and fair, responsible conduct.

We have formulated this basic understanding in more detail in our Code of Conduct and integrated it into our daily work processes via internal guidelines for our organization and our employees. Our Code of Conduct must be observed by all employees, managers and directors.

With regard to "Compliance", our Competence Center Governance focuses via a compliance management system on the topics of corruption and antitrust law, which are of particular importance to us, and also supports and advises the operating units of GMH Gruppe on all legal issues in connection with other topics that touch on our Code of Conduct or concern compliance with applicable laws.

Extending our standard of conduct to our suppliers

Sustainability and a long-term perspective for GMH Gruppe naturally presuppose that GMH Gruppe's environment also enables such a development. For this reason, we involve our suppliers directly in our sustainability strategy In procurement, we focus not only on more short-term criteria such as economic, technical and process requirements, but also on social and ecological aspects. These include human rights, working conditions, corruption prevention, and climate and environmental protection. We implement the requirements of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act.

GMH Gruppe bases its business activities on the internationally recognized Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights of the United Nations. It implements the requirements of the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights. In addition, GMH Gruppe‘s understanding and due diligence processes in human rights and environmental law are based on the following international human rights reference instruments:

  • The International Bill of Human Rights, i.e. the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the Civil Covenant and the Social Covenant, which define civil, political and social rights to which all human beings are entitled for the sake of their dignity.
  • The core labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO) with their four basic principles on freedom of association, right to collective bargaining, elimination of forced and child labor, and prohibition of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Against this background, we have drawn up a Supplier Code of Conduct that clearly formulates our expectations of suppliers. Our aim is to work only with suppliers who align themselves with our principles and comply with nationally applicable laws. We reserve the right to terminate contracts with suppliers if suppliers violate our principles.

Implementation of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act

Compliance with human and environmental rights in our own business operations is important to us. As one of Europe's largest privately owned metalworking groups, this applies to our twenty or so medium-sized production companies in the steel, forging and casting industries, most of whose production is located in Germany.

We are aware that global supply and value chains in particular can have a potentially adverse impact on human and environmental rights. We therefore expect our business partners to also commit to respecting human and environmental rights, to establish appropriate due diligence processes and to pass this expectation on to their own suppliers.

We consistently implement the requirements of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and make our actions transparent in a policy statement and, in the future, through annual reports.

In this context, it is also important to us that potential violations can be reported anonymously via our whistleblower system and that tips and well-founded suspicions are processed in a transparent, balanced and predictable process for all parties involved. We ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of whistleblowers. We ensure, as far as possible and within our sphere of influence, that whistleblowers are protected from disadvantage and punishment in connection with the complaints they submit.

Important documents and references

Contact

At GMH Gruppe, the topic of compliance is the responsibility of the Competence Center Governance. You can reach this department with questions or tips as follows:

Competence Center Governance
c/o Dr. Andreas Geist (Director Governance / General Counsel)
E-Mail: Andreas.Geist(at)gmh-gruppe.de
Phone: +49 160 8410256