Picture: Choi Bu-Seok Picture: Choi Bu-Seok
Seoul - Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday it will set up an independent committee to inspect its facilities, the company’s latest concession after reports that scores of workers developed rare cancers and other illnesses at semiconductor factories.
The South Korean company, victims of leukaemia and other work-related diseases, and a local civic group formally agreed to establish an ombudsman committee that will monitor working conditions. The concession came after Samsung announced a 100 billion-won ($83 million) fund in July to compensate victims and fund preventive measures.
“We are grateful to the related parties for their collaborative partnership on finding a solution,” Samsung said in a statement. “Samsung will faithfully implement proposed improvements from the Ombudsman Committee and remains fully committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our valued employees.”
In an abrupt about-face, Samsung issued a public apology last year to workers who said they contracted rare cancers linked to chemicals at its semiconductor plants and to the surviving family members it battled in South Korea’s courts during a struggle that stretched nine years. Samsung is one of the world’s biggest chip makers, supplying its own devices and those made by competitors, including Apple.
Samsung has in the past denied links between some of the reported diseases, including leukaemia, and potential carcinogens used in its plants. In a handful of cases, South Korean courts and the government’s worker-compensation board formally connected cancers or precancerous blood conditions to semiconductor work for Samsung, especially at its oldest and once-biggest production facility.
The company said on Tuesday it is committed to compensating workers and their families. Samsung has received more than 150 applications since starting its fund, and more than 100 victims and the families have accepted the company’s financial support.
BLOOMBERG