Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

This statement is made pursuant to the United Kingdom Modern Slavery Act 2015 for the purpose of disclosing activities of our company to prevent slavery and human trafficking in our business and supply chains.

1. Overview of our business and supply chain

Our company, Oki Europe Limited (“OEL”), is a subsidiary of Oki Electric Industry, Co., Ltd.(“OKI”), a manufacturer and provider of technology products, solution and services, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Company details and business information of OKI and its subsidiaries (“OKI Group”) can be found here

OEL is engaged in the business of the manufacturing and supplying of printing equipment. Find out more

OEL purchases finished products, parts, components and materials for its products from various suppliers in and outside Japan. OKI Data Corporation is OEL’s main supplier, who are based in Japan. After OKI Data Corporation, OEL has other sources for products and parts. Toshiba supplies spare parts for OEL. Then we have various suppliers for packaging and cable management: Polaris Plastics Express Corrugated cases and Volex are only some of them.

2. Policies with regard to Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

Committed to corporate social responsibility (“CSR”), OKI Group established the OKI Group Charter of Corporate Conduct (“Charter”) as a statement of values that OKI Group companies need to share for the entire OKI Group to fulfil its social responsibilities. In the Charter, it is clearly articulated “Respect for Human Right” is one of the important values OKI Group should share.

View the OKI group conduct charter

OKI Group also established the OKI Group Code of Conduct to be conformed to by all OKI Group executive officers and employees, where OKI Group makes it clear that it does not allow child labor, nor forced labor. Read more here

As a member of the OKI Group, OEL adopted this Code of Conduct.

In May 2010, OKI signed the United Nations Global Compact to declare its support for the Compact. The OKI Group supports the Global Compact’s 10 principles, and will work to contribute to creating a sustainable society.

View the OKI Group CSR statement

As a member of the OKI Group, OEL also supports the Global Compact’s 10 principles including principles of support and respect of human rights and no complicity in human rights abuses in the area of “Human Rights”. Principles four and five of the initiative aim specifically at the elimination of all forced, compulsory labor, including that of child labor.

Based on the Code of Conduct and other principles above, OEL has adopted policies relating to a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption in the workplace, wherever OEL may operate. OEL complies with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977 and the Bribery Act 2010, in respect of our conduct across Europe.


For its global supply chain, OKI Group also established OKI Group Procurement Policies in which it requests all the suppliers to comply with laws, regulations and social norms including prohibition of child labor and forced labor.

3. Efforts of OKI Group Companies

Find out more about CSR in the OKI Group

Upon the start of a new employee’s career at OKI, they are given a standard manual of all mandatory policies. An important policy which allows the reporting of serious offences, such as modern slavery, is the ‘Whistle Blowing’ policy. OKI will protect whistleblowers from victimisation and dismissal where they raise genuine concerns, which can range from misconduct to malpractice. Any effort to abate this by a fellow employee will be considered a gross misconduct offence. This policy will encourage employees to act diligently as they will not be subject to scrutiny should they raise a genuine problem., such as suspicion of slavery.

As to the OKI Code of Conduct including the respect for human rights, OKI Group has been working to thoroughly to implement them through various means such as training programs.

Furthermore, OEL has been working with Save the Children to increase career prospects for children through high emphasis on literacy and equal opportunities within curriculum. This approach can lead to less economic and social vulnerability which modern slavery thrives upon. The programmes provided by Save the Children increase the number of children’s books and reading clubs, set up by teachers and parents. Also, helping over 16,000 children in conflict-affected areas receive education.

OEL is dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility, which is shown with compliance of ISO26000, which is a guide to Corporate Social Responsibility launched by the International Organisation of Standardisation. The ISO26000 aims at harmonising corporate social responsibility across international organisations and companies, which would ensure better conditions for employees and customers

OKI Group considers that potential risk of modern slavery and human trafficking occurring is higher in its supply chain than in its own group companies.

OKI Group has been promoting procurement activities in line with the concepts of CSR (“CSR Procurement”) based on the “OKI Group Procurement Policies.”  “OKI Group Supply Chain CSR Deployment Guidebook” is available both in Japanese and in English at OKI’s website. This Guidebook was prepared based on “the Supply-Chain CSR Deployment Guidebook” by Japan Electronic and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), and it explains OKI Group’s CSR initiatives and clearly requires its suppliers not to allow child labor and forced labor therein.

Read more in the OKI Group Supply Chain CSR Guidebook

Based on the Guidebook, OKI Group has been implementing surveys on CSR promotion and activities at its major suppliers in Japan while surveying their usage situation on conflict minerals. Since fiscal year 2014, having referred to the EICC (Electric Industry Citizenship Coalition) Code of Conduct to compile a survey chart, OKI Group has been conducting surveys also on overseas suppliers using this chart.

4. Future Efforts

OKI Group (OEL) will address the respect for human rights as one of the important issues and ensure that there is no slavery and human trafficking in its own business activities and its supply chain, and will continue diligence on the matter.

This statement was approved by the Board of Directors of OEL as of 19 March 2018.