14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung has just announced that after investigating reports of abuse in labor supply companies, it has decided to introduce the new Migrant Worker Guidelines.
According to an official statement, Samsung conducted an on-site investigation of some companies that it's working with in Malaysia and the migrant workers hired by these companies.
The results forced Samsung to enforce these guidelines since the South Korean handset maker identified at least one of its labor supply companies to be in violation of the hiring process of migrant workers.
Aside from enforcing the new Migrant Worker Guidelines, Samsung announced that it terminated its contract with the company found to be in violation with the hiring process.
The rest of the labor supply companies are still under investigation and a report will be made public by Samsung as soon as it ends.
The new Samsung Migrant Worker Guidelines has been created with advice from the NGO, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) and will become effective as of today, December 12, 2016.
Samsung aims to eradicate coercive and slave labor
Samsung states that “the intent of the guidelines is to eradicate any existing or potential of forced or coercive labor, slave labor or human trafficking of migrant workers either at Samsung or among any of our suppliers.”
Among the most important things introduced in the guidelines, Samsung mentions that, alongside its suppliers, it must abide by local labor laws, Samsung's Code of Conduct, as well as Samsung Supplier Code of Conduct.
Furthermore, Samsung confirmed that it would be the one to manage and supervise suppliers and labor supply companies via regular on-site due diligence, monitoring, and training.
“Samsung has recognized the seriousness of the migrant worker issue, and although perfect compliance within all our supply chains, including our suppliers, will require ongoing vigilance, we are committed to ensuring and protecting all migrant worker rights through actions like the guidelines we are announcing today,” reads Samsung's statement.