Compensation sought for ’occupational cancer’

By Lee Hyo-sik

A group of factory workers diagnosed with cancer and other illnesses have requested compensation from the government, claiming their health problems were caused by hazardous materials present at their places of work.

The Korean Metal Workers’ Union said Wednesday that 16 workers at Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, GM Korea and Kumho Tires recently contracted cancer and asked the state-invested Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service to recognize their poor health as workplace-related thereby requiring them to cover incurred medical and living expenses. The umbrella labor organization is affiliated with the unions of the four firms.

The argument is that they are all factory workers who were constantly exposed to a wide range of toxic chemicals used in the production of cars and tires, adding another group of employees will seek state coverage for occupational illnesses in late September. In April, 14 workers at Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction also filed a similar application.

“Workers pay part of their monthly wages to the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service as an insurance premium. So, when they become sick, the service should provide all necessary financial and other assistance,” a union official said.

The official added that many cancer-causing toxic substances are still used in the production of consumer goods, stressing the harmful materials negatively affect the health of not only workers, but also consumers who use the products.

In response, the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service said it will thoroughly examine the applications and decide whether the employees got cancer due to hazardous workplace environments.

“We have a guideline on determining the correlation between the occurrence of workers’ illnesses and worksites. We will screen applications separately even though they filed as a group,” it said.