Samsung apologizes after workers at its chip factories have been sick or dead

Samsung has formally apologized to its sick and dead workers at its chip and screen factories. The excuses came as part of a settlement that the company has with victims of diseases that allegedly included cancer and miscarriages.

"Our efforts have been insufficient to better understand the pain felt by the affected workers and their families," said Kinam Kim, president and CEO of the company's Device Solutions division, during the public apology presentation. this week. The Associated Press said on Thursday that Samsung's apology was a flagrant absence, namely that its own working conditions were leading to illness or death of its workers.

For years, horror claims about toxic work environments have poisoned the company. Samsung finally agreed to a compensation agreement with its factory employees in July. Reuters announced Thursday that the South Korean manufacturer had agreed to pay the victims of diseases resulting from exposure to chemicals in its factories, up to 150 million won (about 132,289 US dollars) from 39, here 2028.

All former and current Samsung employees, as well as company subcontractors who have been working in Samsung's semiconductor and screen production facilities for more than a year since 1984, are eligible for sickness compensation.

Kim said the company would issue its compensation guidelines as well as a letter of apology by the end of the month on the company's website and that a law firm Seoul-based independent will lead the review process of the affected workers to determine their eligibility for compensation.

Hwang Sang-gi, whose daughter worked at one of Samsung's factories and died of leukemia in 2007, is the founder of the South Korean rights group Sharps. She told Reuters that 200 workers at Samsung factories had been sick, 70 of whom died later.

Speaking at the press conference, Mr Hwang said: "No excuse would be enough given the deception and humiliation experienced (by Samsung) over the past 11 years, suffering caused by occupational diseases, the loss of loved ones ".