With respect to its activities, the company influences the lives of the majority of the people in the region, be it through its customers to whom it supplies drinking water and provides wastewater drainage, its employees or suppliers of material, technologies and services. SmVaK Ostrava employs almost 900 people and ranks among the major employers in the region.
Given that its annual investments in renewal and repair of the water infrastructure exceeds one billion Czech Crown, SmVaK Ostrava indirectly provides jobs for hundreds of employees of its contractors.
SmVaK Ostrava is aware of its responsibility for the region where it operates. The concept of the social accountability and sustainable development is an integral part of SmVaK Ostrava’s existence – it passes through all its activities and it based on four piers: Corporate Governance, People, Environment, and Region.
In February 2018, the Board of Directors of FCC approved the Code of Conduct, the objective of which is to support all persons relating to any company from the Group and encourage them to adhere to, to the maximum possible extent, with the strict requirements applicable to compliance with respect to regulations, law, contracts, procedures, and ethical principles.
In July 2019 the Board of Directors updated the Code of Conduct. For the full text see here.
Corporate Governance
SmVaK Ostrava has voluntarily undertaken to follow and comply with certain chapters in the Code of Administration and Management of Companies which was issued by the Securities Commission and is based on OECD Principles. Being a member of the FCC Group, the company also adopted the FCC Group Code of Ethics which it implemented and adjusted in line with its specific conditions. Respect for human rights is obviously a part of the internal policies of SmVaK Ostrava, particularly, in the rules of work.
The company is a holder of five quality management certificates, namely:
- ČSN EN ISO 9001: 2016 (Quality Management System).
- ČSN EN ISO 14001: 2016 (Environmental Management System)
- ČSN ISO 45001: 2018 (Occupational Safety and Health Protection Management System)
- ČSN ISO 50001:2019 (Energy Management System)
- ČSN ISO 14064-1 (Quantifying and Reporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions)
Severomoravské vodovody a kanalizace Ostrava follows the approved governance policy [in Czech] in its activities.
FCC Group’s Compliance Programme
In 2020, FCC Group implemented its compliance programme.
The programme introduces a comprehensive system of measures and procedures relating to all activities of all enties in the Group. The main objective of the compliance programme is to define internal rules for the parent company, the FCC Group, and for its subsidiaries and associates, to define rules applicable to acts towards third parties, and to introduce a corporate culture applicable to its aspect of companies’ conduct.
Following up the implementation of the FCC Group’s compliance programme, the Board of Directors approved the principles of conduct.
Following documents are available in Czech only.
- Protikorupční politika
- Protokol o prevenci a potírání obtěžování
- Politika ochrany lidských práv
- Politika přijímání darů
- Politika vztahů s obchodními zástupci
- Politika pro účast ve výběrových řízeních na dodávku zboží a služeb
- Politika upravující vztahy s obchodními partnery v souvislosti s dodržováním zákonných předpisů
- Manuál prevence trestní odpovědnosti
- Předpisy upravující činnost Výboru pro Compliance
- Proces vypořádání podnětů
- Whistleblowing procesy
The documents are based on the Code of Ethics and provide more details in each area of interest.
An ethics e-mail was established for submitting of incentives etickalinka@aqualia.com
Human resources
SmVaK Ostrava employs more than 900 people and understands that people are the most important asset.
The key priority is occupational safety.
SmVaK Ostrava is managed pursuant to ČSN OHSAS 18001. Within the occupational safety management, risks are regularly identified and assessed and measures are being taken in order to eliminate the health and safety risks. The employees are also provided with the advanced personal protective equipment.
Those who work in hazard environment may receive (re)-vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis and/or re-vaccination against jaundice.
Each employee is covered by the collective bargaining agreement which offers many financial and non-financial benefits.
SmVaK Ostrava pays much attention to professional growth of its employees. Specialised skills, knowledge of languages and quality systems are improved in line with the education plan which is drafted each year.
Environment
Care for the environment is the continuous goal of SmVaK Ostrava: it builds new wastewater treatment plants and sewage discharge facilities, renews non-compliant sewers and reconstructs/modernises sewage pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants.
When choosing the suppliers, one of the qualification criteria is supplier’s compliance with ISO 14001 (the environment management system). Impacts of activities on the environment are governed by internal documents which specify details for assessment of environmental aspects and proving of compliance with regulations and laws.
Community
SmVaK Ostrava has been supporting non-profit organisations that work with children, young people, the handicapped and/or elderly people. SmVaK Ostrava also supports organisation of cultural, social and educational events in the region.
A subsidised programme " We are in this together“ was created for those employees who volunteer in non-profit activities.
SmVaK Ostrava has been working closely for a long time with VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB-TU). Graduates from VŠB-TU are among those who start their professional careers in SmVaK Ostrava. Both institutions have also cooperated in the field of scientific research over the long term.
Interactive educational programmes were developed and provided for free for grammar schools in the Moravian-Silesian Region. The Tree of Life and the Planet of Oxidan are programmes that emphasize importance of water for people and nature. Both general community and experts have been speaking highly about the programmes.