Post by Rebecca Kim
Image source: Ohmynews, June 20
Samsung Victims and International Labor Rights
Activists Warn Samsung They Should Protect Their Workers
Seoul, June 20
Samsung
occupational disease victims and international NGO activists held a press
conference to call for labor rights and environmental justice in front of the
head office of Samsung Electronics, Seoul, on 20th June. The participants were
attending an international conference since 18th in Suwon called "Global
Strategy Meeting on Sustainable Electronics Industry" co-organized by Asia
Monitoring Resource Centre(HK), Citizen of the Earth Taiwan(Taiwan), Good
Electronics, International Campaign for Responsible Technology(USA), Supporters
for Health and Right of People in Semiconductor Industry(SHARPS, Korea).
Representing 36
organizations from over 10 countries, they chose the head office of Samsung
Electronics as their last press conference spot because there have been deaths
of Samsung semiconductor workers, one of the latest victims was the late Yumi
Hwang. The family members of the killed workers were also found picketing in
the same place.
The international
activist from China, Indonesia, Mexico and the US were holding a yellow picket
saying "Samsung - Stop Killing Workers!" in their own languages, a
stern warning against Samsung Corporation which wouldn't still recognize their
workers' 'occupational accidents'.
Jongran Lee from
SHARP said: "We found from the conference that the semiconductor workers
worldwide suffer from the same kinds of problems stemming from the invincible
capital power", and stressed the importance of the international
solidarity of the workers. "Occupational diseases of the workers in
semiconductor industry turned up in Silicon Valley in the past, are turning up
in Korea now, and will turn up in China in the future". The participants
agreed to spread the words about the grim truth behind Samsung Corporation.
Samsung C&T being the largest building contractor for the devastating Four
Rivers Project and Jeju Naval Base construction, etc., Samsung is being singled
out as the worst environmental destroyer and 'public enemy no. 1' within Korean
civil society.
Good news to the
victims family and SHARP was that the National Human Rights Commission of Korea
finally sent out their recommendation for the Ministry of Employment and Labor
on 19th to amend the industrial standards of the occupational hazards. They
reached a resolution that the employer, not the employee, is responsible for
proving that a disease is relevant with occupation. Yusoon Park, director of
the Unorganizaed, Irregular Workers' division, Korean Metal Workers' Union
said: "What we've heard shows the victims' families and labor right
organizations such as SHARP, having a small influence yet, can win the powers
as long as they're strong-willed."
Simplified English
translation from the following article:
삼성 바리케이드 뚫은 반도체 노동자의 '눈물'
[현장] 국제 NGO 활동가들 "노동자 피눈물로 갤럭시S 만들어"
12.06.20 19:34 ㅣ최종 업데이트 12.06.20
19:34
http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0001746810
See also Stop Samsung blog(click)
International Activists Protest Samsung’s Inaction Toward Occupational Disease Crisis, June 21, 2012
Other related
articles (in Korean only):
http://samsunggroupunion.org/gnu/bbs/board.php?bo_table=bbs_free&wr_id=96301&page
"삼성 직업병 사태 국제사회에 알리겠다"
10개국 시민운동단체 삼성전자 본관 앞 기자회견
제정남 |
jjn@labortoday.co.kr 승인 2012.06.21
http://www.labortoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=111998
“세계일류 삼성 갤럭시폰? 노동자 인권 탄압의 상징”
10개국 시민사회단체, 20일 전자산업 노동권 보장 촉구
최지현 기자 cjh@vop.co.kr
입력 2012-06-20
19:28:20 l 수정 2012-06-20 20:35:25
http://www.vop.co.kr/A00000513847.html
국제NGO, 삼성전자 본사 앞 시위..이유는?
입력 : 2012-06-20
오후 4:50:43
http://www.newstomato.com/ReadNews.aspx?no=261781
Stop Samsung
homepage:
http://stopsamsung.wordpress.com/page/2/
SHARP homepage:http://cafe.daum.net/samsunglabor
About the
conference "Global Strategy Meeting on Sustainable Electronics Industry"
http://go.jinbo.net/commune/view.php?board=cool&id=43050
http://www.newscham.net/news/view.php?board=news&nid=66560
http://blog.daum.net/ll3315/373