Since January 2008, the Group has invited its suppliers to make commitments and work together by signing a Responsible Purchasing Charter. The Charter enables La Poste Group to share its values of openness, fairness, solidarity and social progress and to involve its service providers in a shared progressive endeavour. The Charter not only commits the Group and service provider to abide by fundamental laws and international regulations, but also encourages the sharing of good practices and, where appropriate, the inclusion of progress plans in contracts.
By signing the Charter, the provider agrees to respect the principles of the Global Compact and the eight core conventions of the International Labour Organization ILO(1). The provider must not only comply with “the relevant social and environmental regulations”, but also “put in place actions aimed at moving closer to best practice in its profession”. The supplier also undertakes to ensure compliance with these principles “throughout its supply chain, including in countries where it operates that are not signatories of the ILO Conventions”. La Poste therefore recommends that its partners forward the Charter to their own sub-contractors.
Also, under its vigilance plan, La Poste Group provides its suppliers with a whistleblowing system where they can flag up any serious breach of human rights, fundamental freedoms or the health and safety of people or the environment that they encounter during the performance of their contract.
Whistleblowing website: https://www.alerte-vigilance.laposte.fr
Any organisation can ask to be listed with the Purchasing Department via the La Poste Group supplier portal.
La Poste is aware of its responsibility in the national economy. It is committed to using the services of SMEs and signed the “SME Agreement” (Pacte PME) as a founding member in 2004. La Poste has also signed the “10 commitments for responsible purchasing” charter (28 June 2010) and the “Public sector company charter to promote the emergence and development of innovative SMEs” (18 December 2012).
Through these commitments, La Poste recognises that SMEs can deliver real gains in competitive edge. La Poste sources early one-quarter of its purchases from SMEs, which comprise almost 40% of its supplier base including mid-tier companies. To avoid any risk of supplier dependence, La Poste monitors the ratio between La Poste and supplier revenues. It encourages suppliers to look for new customers.
La Poste is not legally required to purchase services from the IAE sector (integration through employment). However, it has established a voluntary initiative as an organisation committed to national economic and social development.
On 19 June 2017, La Poste won the gold medal in the 11th Netmedia Purchasing Awards in the “Buyer, sustainable and responsible purchasing” category for the creation of a labour pool with temporary employment agencies promoting integration through employment.
Purchases from the social and solidarity-based economy totalled €34.3 million in 2021 (versus €25.4 million in 2020), including €18.8 million from the disabled and sheltered sector and €15.5 million from the integration through employment sector.
Respect rules and procedures:
Purchasing stakeholders undertake to work with the buyer to ensure strict compliance with purchasing rules and ethics. This means applying all regulations governing La Poste’s purchases (European Directives).
Ensure purchasing traceability:
The new Purchasing IT system put in place by La Poste Group provides real-time traceability throughout the purchasing process.
Commitment to suppliers:
Suppliers are selected and assessed on the basis of explicit pre-set criteria. La Poste undertakes to respect the confidential nature of the information provided by suppliers.
La Poste Group is committed to an organised ethics procedure. It has also implemented a corruption prevention policy, including setting clear rules for its employees. The Group distributes an anti-corruption kit comprising the following documents:
The anti-corruption memo;
The “Gifts and invitations” policy and its instructions for use.
The recommended practices apply to relations with Group partners.
(1): The 8 core conventions of the ILO address the issues of forced labour, freedom of association, collective bargaining, child labour, equal remuneration, abolition of forced labour, discrimination, minimum working age and the worst forms of child labour.