By Kim Yoo-chul
Banolim, an advocacy group representing several families of former Samsung Electronics employees who developed cancer, has decided to join talks aimed at reaching a financial settlement led by a three-member mediation committee.
"Banolim decided to join the negotiations after a thorough review," it said in a statement, Monday. "This is because Banolim found common ground with the three-member mediation committee over issues that we were worried about."
The committee will discuss three main issues ― a further apology from Samsung Electronics, compensation and plans to improve the working conditions at Samsung manufacturing facilities ― in their first gathering later this week.
The decision comes a month after Samsung Electronics agreed to the launch of the committee comprising of former Justice Kim Ji-hyung, Inha University Law School Professor Jung Kang-ja and Seoul National University Professor Baek Do-myeong.
Families of six former Samsung employees who developed cancer, some of whom are deceased, earlier agreed with Samsung Electronics to move forward with the settlement talks using the committee.
But Banolim, which represents two former Samsung employees who passed away primarily due to incurable diseases allegedly contracted at the firm's display and semiconductor facilities, had refused to join the talks.
It had demanded Samsung Electronics reveal a list of chemicals the company has used at its manufacturing facilities and widen the scope of compensation to the families of hundreds of past and present employees, conditions that the company had been unwillingly to accept.
The makeup of the committee has been a subject of controversy, as Jung and Baek have long been regarded as pro-labor.
Samsung Electronics had questions about the neutrality of the panel, but the company eventually said it accepted the makeup of the committee because its priority was to heal the wounds of the affected families.