ITC’s culture is characterised by cooperative relationships and high employee involvement that relies on building of partnerships to meet our collective needs. Adhering to these principles has helped build, sustain, and strengthen harmonious industrial relations in the organisation.

ITC respects the employees’ right to organise themselves into interest groups, as initiatives of the workers, independent from supervision by the management. In keeping with the spirit of this Policy, employees are not discriminated against for exercising this right.

The policy is communicated to all employees through induction programmes, policy manuals and intranet portals.

The custodian of this policy is the HR head of each operational unit, who reports directly to the Unit Head on such issues.

The actualisation of the Collective Bargaining policy is evident from the joint agreements and minutes that are signed between the union and the management.

Each ITC Unit has appropriate systems and checks to ensure compliance with the Policy and statutory provisions, including means for filing of grievances, collective bargaining agreements, and minutes from worker meetings.

The Divisional HR Department, Corporate Internal Audit, external statutory auditors and relevant statutory authorities regularly monitor compliance with the Policy.

The foundation of ITC’s No Child or Forced Labour policy is based on the Company’s commitment to find practical, meaningful and culturally-appropriate responses to support the elimination of such labour practices. It thus endorses the need for appropriate national and international initiatives to progressively eliminate these abuses.

ITC does not employ any person below the age of eighteen years in the workplace.

ITC prohibits the use of forced or compulsory labour at all its units. No employee is made to work against his/her will or work as bonded/forced labour or is subject to corporal punishment or coercion of any type related to work.

This policy is communicated to all employees through induction programmes, policy manuals and intranet portals. The responsibility for the implementation of the policy rests with the units’ HR Department, and the security staff, who do not permit underage persons to enter the factory as workers.

The compliance with this policy is evident in the transparent system of recruitment and the policy of exit interviews, which are undertaken by a manager not directly connected with the employee. For the unionised employees, compliance is also ensured through a robust grievance-handling procedure and the presence of a union that brings violations to the notice of the unit HR head.

Sample checks of the records are undertaken annually by CHR.

Audit and assessment are undertaken annually by Corporate Internal Audit and EHS.

ITC’s Code of Conduct requires that all Company employees must avoid situations in which their personal interest could conflict with the interest of the Company. This is an area in which it is impossible to provide comprehensive guidance. But the practical guiding principle is that any conflict or potential conflict must be disclosed to higher management for guidance and proper action.

All Company employees must ensure that in their dealings with suppliers and customers, the Company’s interests are never compromised. Accepting gifts and presents of more than a nominal value, gratuity payments and other payments from suppliers or customers is viewed as a serious breach of discipline as this could lead to compromising the Company’s interest.

Donations, determined on an equitable basis by the Board, were made to political parties during the year as follows: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - Rs.0.06 crore; All India Trinamool Congress - Rs.0.04 crore; Bahujan Samaj Party - Rs.0.19 crore; Bharatiya Janata Party - Rs.1.37 crores; Biju Janata Dal - Rs.0.11 crore; Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - Rs. 0.16 crore; Indian National Congress - Rs.1.44 crores; Indian National Lok Dal - Rs.0.03 crore; Jammu & Kashmir National Conference - Rs.0.03 crore; Janata Dal (United) - Rs.0.08 crore; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha - Rs.0.05 crore; Nationalist Congress Party - Rs.0.09 crore; Rashtriya Janata Dal - Rs.0.21 crore; Samajwadi Party - Rs.0.36 crore; Shiromani Akali Dal - Rs.0.08 crore; Shiv Sena - Rs.0.12 crore; Telangana Rashtra Samithi - Rs. 0.05 crore; Telegu Desam Party - Rs.0.15 crore.