By Kim Yoo-chul
Samsung Electronics said Friday that it will start compensation talks later this month with an advocacy group representing former Samsung chip workers who developed cancer.
It also said it will withdraw its involvement in related lawsuits.
"Samsung hopes to start talks with Banolim from as early as May 28. These will be face-to-face talks, meaning that we dropped our earlier plan to follow the compensation guidelines of an independent adjudicator," said Baek Soo-hyun, a senior executive at the corporate public relations team, at a press briefing.
Its move comes two days after Samsung Electronics officially apologized to families and workers who've suffered leukemia after working for its semiconductor plants.
Samsung said it will offer proper compensation to the sufferers of leukemia and those with other health problems linked to chemical exposure.
Samsung previously planned to set up a coordination body to decide how to deal with each case with consent from victims and families.
But Banolim had refused to accept the Samsung offer insisting that it needed face-to-face talks.
The advocacy group insisted 146 workers have contracted various forms of cancers while working in chip-making facilities over more than a decade.
Samsung has declined to confirm the link between the disease and chemicals used in the chip factories.
"Banolim approached us and our answer is May 28 and 29. If the date of the talks is fixed, then the head of Samsung Electronics Communications Team Rhee In-yong will participate in the talks," said the Samsung executive.
In a statement, Banolim said it welcomed Samsung's move and it will respond to the company today.
"This is very meaningful. We hope talks be constructive," said the statement.
Samsung also said it has decided to withdraw its involvement in four related lawsuit cases.
Local courts previously ruled in favor of the workers in the four cases. The Korea Workers Compensation and Welfare Service is continuing to appeal these cases.
"Samsung is very sincere. Our top management is dealing with this issue very seriously. We want to build up trust to families whose sons and daughters have passed away or been suffering from diseases at our factories," Baek said.
"Samsung will try hard to address related issues.”
However, there is a long road ahead before the two parties reach an agreement on terms of the compensation.
"There are many hurdles including how to set up an independent adjudicator (and) how to prepare safety measures at Samsung factories," said Lee Jong-ran, a legal attorney representing Banolim.
She said Banolim wants Samsung to receive regular audits of all of its manufacturing lines.
On a related note, another advocacy group ― Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry ― claimed at least 26 workers at its chip factories have contracted blood cancer and so far 10 have died.
In April, Justice Party politician Sim Sang-jung submitted a resolution calling for Samsung and the government to apologize for more than 243 cases since the 1990s at Samsung factories.