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Impact on developing markets continued
support they need but are also challenged on
their progress.
A good example of an effective local health
initiative is our Selling Beer Safely programme,
which supports female beer promoters in
Cambodia. The programme has helped to improve
health and safety for around 700 female beer
promoters, who over the past few years have
attended three-day training workshops
and one-day refresher courses, during which
they discussed reproductive health issues, the
difficulties of dealing with customers, how
to resist pressure to drink alcohol and other
health and safety topics. The turnover of beer
promoters remains high, so it is important to
sustain the training courses we offer.
The lessons learned in Cambodia have
subsequently been used in other operating
companies facing similar issues. We also
acknowledge that the Selling Beer Safely
programme also requires the active involvement
of our competitors to succeed, and we have taken
the lead in forming the Beer Selling Industry
Cambodia (BSIC). This association of brewers
and beer sellers has agreed and signed up to
a general code of conduct for beer promoters.
Participating companies have agreed to work
together to help improve the health and safety
of beer promoters. These actions will build on
the significant improvements we have made
in the last three years. These improvements
include HR-issues like contracts, working
conditions, safety and privacy; information
instruction and training in areas such as selling
beer safely, personal health, alcohol-related
issues, appropriate behaviour in dealing with
customers; work organisation, including
supervision, transport and counselling;
implementation and monitoring to ensure the
success and continuity of the programme.
In 2007, we will actively encourage the beer
promoters working for our brands to undergo
testing for HIV/AIDS with the purpose of
facilitating free treatment for those who are
HIV/AIDS positive. Furthermore, we will seek
independent monitoring of our progress on
the Selling Beer Safely programme and we
will introduce responsibility messaging in our
commercial communications in Cambodia.
We will also ask our business partners who
employ the beer promoters to look into the
primary labour conditions.
Corporate citizenship
We want to play an active role in the local
communities in which we operate. Many of
our breweries are actively engaged with local
communities, which ultimately grant us the right
Q/l Heineken N.V.
0*TSustainability Report 2006
