14 DAY TRIAL // A decade-old dispute between Samsung Electronics and workers at several of its factories has come to an end this week after the company agreed to issue an apology for failing to provide a safe environment at some of its production facilities.
Dozens of employees have suffered leukemia and brain tumors, with at least one case of death reported back in 2007.
While Samsung hasn’t specifically admitted that its working conditions have led to severe illness, the company did say that it should have created a safer workplace at its semiconductor and liquid crystal display manufacturing lines, as per AP.
“We offer our sincere apology to our workers who have suffered with illnesses and their families,” Kinam Kim, president of Samsung’s device solutions division, said.
Additionally, Samsung has agreed to pay compensation of up to $132,000 for the various illness suffered by employees at its factories, with some cases dating back to 1984. According to the cited source, many of the victims and their families ended up selling their homes to pay hospital bills after failing to win court battles and receive compensation from the government.
First death reported 11 years ago
The public apology and the compensation are both parts of a settlement reached between Samsung and a group of workers several weeks ago.
Back in 2007, 23-year-old Hwang Yu-mi died of leukemia which was believed to be caused by working conditions at a Samsung factory.
Her father, taxi driver Hwang Sang-gi, was the one who started the legal fight against Samsung, refusing a settlement and trying to prove the lack of safety standards in production facilities could cause severe illness.
“No apology would be enough when considering the deception and humiliation we experienced (from Samsung) over the past 11 years, the pain of suffering from occupational diseases, the pain of losing loved ones. But I take today’s apology as a promise from Samsung Electronics,” he was quoted as saying by the cited source.
The compensation will also cover congenital illness experienced by workers’ children, the report adds