Samsung Electronics apologizes to workers hit by the disease

Samsung Electronics officially apologized to its workers for serious occupational illnesses and accepted the mediator's compensation plan, marking the final stretch of a decade-long conflict over his work environment.

The South Korean tech giant admitted Friday for the first time that he had not taken into account the health risks posed to workers at his semiconductor factories and screens dishes and was committed to improving safety.

"Our dear colleagues and their families have been suffering for a long time, but Samsung Electronics has not been able to deal with this sooner," said Kim Ki-nam, chairman of the semiconductor company.

"Samsung has also not managed sufficiently and completely the potential health risks on its LCD and chip display production lines," he added. "We offer them our sincere apologies."

As part of the arbitration proposal signed on Friday, Samsung will offer up to 150 million won ($ 132,000) to each worker with cancer or serious illness while he had been working in its electronics plants since 1984. The clearing process will begin this year and will continue until 2028.

Samsung has also donated 50 billion won to the Korean Agency for Occupational Safety and Health to help improve industrial safety in the country, which has one of the highest mortality rates. developed countries and a culture of protection against accidents and occupational diseases.

The agreement marks a breakthrough for victims and their families who fought for official recognition of the health risks that semiconductor and LCD factories pose to workers.

Their fight against Samsung began in 2007 when taxi driver Hwang Sang-ki refused to accept a settlement for his 22-year-old daughter who died of leukemia after working for four years in a factory. Samsung.

About 260 Samsung workers have become seriously ill in the past decade due to exposure to toxic chemicals. Fewer than 30 of them have been formally compensated, according to Sharps, a South Korean labor rights group.

"No excuse would be enough for our suffering, but I will consider it a commitment of society. [to prevent any recurrence]Said Mr. Hwang. "The compensation of occupational diseases is important, but what matters most is prevention."

Hwang called on Samsung to compensate stranded workers from its subcontractors and factories abroad, as well as those of its subsidiaries such as Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung SDI and Samsung SDS.

Samsung has criticized foreign factories for manpower problems, with UN experts worried in March of treating workers at its smartphone factories in Vietnam.

The agreement comes as Samsung, victim of corruption scandals and allegations of sabotage of work, is striving to repair its tarnished corporate image in his country.

The billionaire heir to the group, Lee Jae-yong, is currently serving a suspended sentence for bribing former president Park Geun-hye in exchange for business favors. He appealed the decision.

In September, South Korean prosecutors indicted Lee Sang-hoon, chairman of the company's board of directors, and dozens of other top executives for allegedly sabotaging unions.