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| Kim Ji-hyung, fourth from left, head of a three-member mediation committee, speaks during negotiations for cancer-stricken Samsung workers, in the office of Jipyong, a law firm, in Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap |
By Kim Yoo-chul
Samsung Electronics will compensate all former workers who contracted leukemia and other diseases after working at its display and semiconductor facilities, the company said on Friday.
"Samsung Electronics will compensate all former workers who have developed leukemia or incurable diseases, the families of the deceased and also current employees battling illness at our display and semiconductor plants," said Samsung Electronics' chief negotiator Baek Soo-hyun.
He made the remarks at a new round of compensation talks in downtown Seoul to resolve leukemia-related issues with representatives of affected families.
"Samsung Electronics decided to widen the company's scope of those who will be compensated," Baek said during the talks. "In accordance with that principle, we will include all workers who've been suffering from acute lymphoid leukemia-related diseases."
Samsung workers who left two decades ago could be compensated, while those who left a decade after the illnesses developed would also be included for monetary compensation, said the executive.
This is the first time Samsung Electronics has publicized details of its compensation plans since a three-member mediation committee was established to settle the issue.
The committee is comprised of former judge Kim Ji-hyung and two pro-labor local professors.
The Samsung executive said the company would write to affected families and workers as another apology with a direct signature from Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun.
"Again, it's truly sad and heartbreaking for us," Baek said. "We feel regret that a solution for this delicate matter has not been found in a timely manner. Samsung has addressed the issue very actively and sincerely."
Baek said Samsung will meet the people involved to offer more financial benefits.
"No official documents to prove occupational disease are needed as Samsung has the responsibility of addressing the issue," he said.
The company will strengthen safety procedures at its display and chip facilities, and regularly and thoroughly examine its manufacturing factories in South Korea.
"More measures to prevent recurrences of health issues will be established based on guidelines and discussions with affected parties," Baek said.
Breakthrough?
The new talks, which were opened to reporters, are expected to help the families who "technically" agreed with Samsung over an early settlement offer.
"We want Samsung to establish a Samsung-funded foundation, a move aimed at collecting information at facilities, evaluating the health conditions of employees and setting up measures to improve the working conditions of manufacturing facilities," said Park Sang-hoon, a representative of the Family Leukemia Countermeasure Committee.
Park said the nine-member foundation ― which includes three from Samsung, three from the committee, and the rest from Banolim, a local advocacy group ― needed to have a full authority to tackle any possible issues.
"We also want Samsung to compensate all affected workers regardless of working periods," said Park, who is an attorney. "All leukemia-related and similar diseases should be included in financial packages."
He urged Samsung to hold a press conference to apologize for the situation.
Banolim, a local advocacy group representing several families of former Samsung workers who died from leukemia ― caused while they worked at Samsung plants ― has asked Samsung to open its facilities to determine the types of chemicals being used.
Banolim has also called on the company to make a "sincere apology" before discussing financial settlements.
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