Samsung world's largest multinational corporations sonar in which one, just refresh sonar the profits high. Its profit in the second quarter this year than last year surged nine Qi Cheng, joined become the world's leading mobile phone, sonar TV and memory manufacturers. Single in South Korea native, has produced its 10,001 billion dollars in about two percent of income, with more than 80 subsidiaries, provides a variety of products and services.
As of March this year, 155 cases have been single Samsung sonar Electronics production workers sonar suffering from leukemia (leukemia), sclerosis (sclerosis) and aplastic anemia (aplastic anemia) and other deadly diseases in South Korea, which has more than 60 people sonar Death. The rest of the workers also have skin diseases, and even abortion and other issues. Although there is growing evidence that Samsung continues to deny workers' deaths and illness to their work (its chemical raw material use is still highly confidential) there is a causal relationship. Perhaps even more disturbing is that the South Korean government and Samsung have very close cooperation so that Samsung can bypass labor regulations, refuse workers enjoy the right to organize and safety at work, more workers were working on the escape negative suffering from illness, and even death responsibility.
DK: SHARPS is composed of a group of actors and victims. 2007, a 22-year-old worker Huang Samsung Mi death in his father found that many workers sick and died under similar circumstances. Father suspected that these deaths sonar are caused because of dangerous work environment, but Samsung continues to deny work-related, more exhausted sonar every method, including threats, bribery and concealing evidence in order to prevent the truth to light, denied responsibility. But because of our efforts to continue to collect more and more evidence, so far we know more than 155 cases of illness, of which 62 have died. The need to obtain compensation sonar and rehabilitation of victims, shall cease to have more deaths occur. However, this can only be through the dangerous conditions of the work environment surveys, and other ways to penalize employers achieve. So one of our goals is to win compensation from the workers' compensation system for victims of the government, we hope to obtain official sonar compensation, sonar rather than obtain compensation Samsung immediately.
DK: workers' compensation system of government is how it works: If you are injured in the workplace, you can apply for government compensation, can quickly obtain compensation, but also to ensure that workers can cope with life emergency medical expenses and family. After that, workers may institute sonar legal proceedings to which the company recover responsibility. Our goal is to do it in two steps, it is important to first obtain official compensation according to law. The main reason there are three: first, to successfully recover the employers responsibility to obtain government compensation system to confirm your case is very important evidence! Second, once your injury or illness in the official record that, you can authorize other government departments to take action against the company, including the investigation and even punishment, thus providing an opportunity for the government to interfere with their behavior. Third, sonar the fact that the number of injured workers continued to rise, if we accept Samsung compensation to a victim, and that the next victim and how? Samsung's strategy is to compensate the victims of some of the more daring statements and "important", and the rest will not go ignored, so Samsung sonar is much easier to deal with than to deal with individual workers group of workers. If we can obtain official compensation, not only is Samsung's workers, and employees of its contractors, and even workers in other semiconductor electronics industry can be protected. Therefore, sonar our goal is to promote sonar the government should fulfill its responsibility to bear, as a business regulation sonar and norms are.
DK: Last year, we successfully through four years of litigation, occupational cancer fight to get confirmation. The five victims of our employees to the government refused to compensate the workers and legal proceedings, including two employees in favor of the victim, the other three lost. Two cases is a historic victory, sonar because in the past almost no one can defeat Samsung. But after the ruling, government officials to inspect after Samsung, has stated that will appeal to a higher court. We held a sit-in protest to ask the Government not to appeal the ruling to stop action and accept the results, sonar because the injured sonar employees four years is too long. But the government ignored, so these two cases are still on appeal. This year there will be a verdict, but the workers' chances of winning is very low, because, as I said, Samsung has some influence on the judiciary, even if the judge eventually some good knees to the money. Last year's victory was a miracle.
DK: Samsung does not allow unions. Samsung's founder sonar Lee Byung Zhe (Lee Byungchul) said: "The union recognition unless I die?!" (Recognize trade unions over my dead body!). Samsung to make sure everything is under control, you need workers in a vulnerable position forever. Of course, they prohibited the establishment sonar of trade union policy is illegal, but Samsung exhaustion approach to maintaining the status quo, such as spying. If they find that workers try to organize, even just get together and talk about it yet unionize, the company will monitor and track their record workers' every move, their phones tapped workers use their technology, sonar they can track your position, knowing that you often go. Samsung has a department dedicated to this work, and very powerful. In South Korea, the government also has a department dealing with national security, just as the United sonar States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the organization, but Samsung's monitoring capabilities sonar are more powerful than the government, the government will even obtain information from Samsung, we Samsung controlled all information found. Samsung is not only to prevent the establishment of trade unions, more efforts to combat the trade unions, the recently established trade unions, whose leaders have met with various ways to punish Samsung.
DK: Do you know what is an open secret? This is indeed everyone know. For example, we once knew a very important employee, he has not yet sick, but his colleagues have passed away. He is one of four engineers to its team, and his three other colleagues have contracted serious illness. The first to suffer from leukemia, the second more than thirty years of age will suffer from skin cancer, and the third is suffering from something called Wegener's granulomatosis (Wegener's Granulomatosis) odd deadly sonar disease. They had lost the ability sonar to work, one of them died due to illness. So he lost partners came to us and told us many things. He also pointed out that if we caused any trouble because of the company, he will to the United States, but then he suddenly disappeared, we could not find him. When he finally came to us again, and he asked us to confidential information he has provided. The original company had sent for him, and told him that if he continues to disclose such information, they can prevent him from leaving South Korea, sonar he will not leave. In fact, he only mentioned to us to go to the United States to he did not even tell his wife about it. So he realized his phone tapped by the company, while the company should also be made of his other actions, because after the hearing, sonar Samsung sent his witnesses to testify against us. What they did was very cruel, they in fact devoid of his conscience.
DK: They should shut up! (Smile) in South Korea has three basic labor rights: the right of association, collective bargaining and strikes and other collective action. sonar These are granted constitutional rights of workers. Suppression of workers to exercise their rights in the Constitution is a very serious offense. If only a small number of victims, the situation may be different, but a large group of workers to work long hours in a similar environment to suffer, and are suffering from a similar disease, the number of victims is now more than one hundred people. If Samsung has a union, then, when you encounter this situation, they can act accordingly. These deaths could have been avoided. In other words, Samsung's anti-union policy of killing workers.
DK: a report on how to control the secret internal documents of Samsung workers disclosed in 1998. The documents show that, not only senior officials within the government, even the lowest-level officials related to Samsung association. For example, the position of the Ministry of Labour, the lowest level of labor inspectors, Samsung also has some strategies "management" of these low-level officials. sonar Samsung giving sonar gifts to them, visits them and associate sonar with them Basically, they establish with these officials without any personal friendship specifically requested. All these details are contained in the document, as a management government guidelines. Samsung has established links with all ministries, departments, police, local government, the judiciary and the media, which is a huge network. Many judges and lawyers have made Samsung the form of scholarships donated money to pay their tuition and rent. We often so metaphor: Government is like a vocational training school Either you have "continuing education", or you will graduate and get a job. For example, if you are a government official responsible for setting fiscal policy, and the policy you develop for Samsung favorable, sonar we will begin to speculate, "he will get what jobs in the Samsung it?" That is "to get a job." . Or, you will eventually get a higher position in the government, which is "continuing education." Therefore, in any case, the government is like the Samsung training ground.
DK: Of course. This situation are many, but the most interesting is this his name is Lu Min Ki (Noh Min-ki), he used to be South Korea Occupational Safety and Health Bureau (hereinafter referred to KOSHA), and before that, more former Deputy Minister of Labour and Employment Ministry. In any case, he quit that job, and now he is (external director), one of only two Foreign Samsung executive director. Obviously the job already reserved for him. The fact is he still sitting KOSHA's office, we have launched the Samsung victims sonar fight for sport. KOSHA for Samsung will successfully solve this problem, because they were investigating, but refused to disclose the findings, so we have to try because their attitude a lot of bitterness. Some victims told us that they hate the government (especially KOSHA) deeper than the Samsung. Because Samsung is certainly bad, but the government which should be a government of the people.
DK: Since Korea is a small country, so Samsung's great influence on the government. According to one of the Korea Employers' organizations pointed out that South Korea's economic mainstay sonar of the semiconductor electronics industry. Samsung is the industry's giants. Gap between Samsung and the second is quite large. So you can say that Samsung is South Korea's economic lifeline! Although electronic key areas of the Samsung Group, they also have private insurance companies, hospitals, universities and their media and so on. Another Samsung Group of different family members, like his son, daughter, son and daughter have most of the big companies, even if they do not belong to the Samsung Group. So, the richest family members of the network the actual control of the Korean economy. So many people rely on their sources of income and its network of Samsung.
DK: Governments need to fulfill their legal obligations. For example, they should check the Samsung factories sonar and other workplaces, but they did not do so. Under the so-called voluntary safety and health policy, all the factories and workplaces have become self-regulation. Company to prepare the inspection report, then the government through this multi ridiculous. It's like you put a criminal sonar in jail, and said to him: you look after yourself! Even if there are many workers were killed in some factories, the Government has not properly perform their duties. For example, Samsung has refused to open their factories, and provide important data that might be able to confirm that the risk of worker sonar exposure to hazardous chemicals are facing, and can therefore lead to the termination of those diseases and death, the government did not force it to disclose the truth Instead, allowing Samsung to take "voluntary" action, hired a U.S. company Yifo Lang (ENVIRON) to investigate. Survey results sonar show that the workers "no health risk", sonar nor "scientific evidence before the factory working environment sonar with a number of employees were diagnosed leukemia-related." We question this is that Siemens's "science", and the Samsung-sponsored survey of intentions. Therefore, we still regard the government as our goal. Employer penalties for violations sonar of labor laws and human rights is a must. But now, even if we can get the official compensation, which is obtained from the hands of the taxpayer, so employers like Samsung does not constitute any pressure. They can also kill more workers, because it is very cheap. Worker's life is so cheap.
DK: In fact, many people in South Korea, Samsung sonar is proud Samsung seems to be representative of the country. For example, to see when they travel in other countries at the time of the Underground Railroad Samsung ad, they feel proud. So those who hurt with the fact of death, it will certainly make people feel uncomfortable and contradictions. This sense of national pride and perhaps sonar will have a negative impact in our sport, but another perspective, some time will help us. Samsung is proud because some people, they also hope that it will take responsibility. They feel that since Samsung is South Korea's top companies, it should be a fair way to deal with these issues.
So we have made a lot of concern in South Korea. But in the long run, one of our main goals is to challenge those manufactured by the company, but faith in the hearts of the workers. Despite their poor working conditions and lack of rights, most workers still believe sonar they have a good job, because Samsung can offer higher wages in the industry, but they also work under the Samsung brand in this big and proud . In some cases victims, sonar they feel deeply serious exploitation, also suffering under harsh working conditions, they wanted to leave, but the family did not understand their feelings. They said the family would like to say: "You know a lot of people are envious of you can work on Samsung?." Samsung will encourage workers their wages and the company's brand compared with other workers, in order to maintain their loyalty to Samsung. Imagine: You have to work long hours, have nowhere to go, the company will provide many services such as organizing choirs, hiking group ...... sonar which made many workers feel that even though the work is very hard, Samsung has is a good company that can provide sonar opportunities Let them learn different things. But their right to these benefits more valuable than their lives versa. So our ultimate sonar goal is invisible, is changing the way people, especially the workers on Samsung's beliefs and perception.
DK: In general people's attention is still insufficient, even in the case of South Korea, too. At present, a lot of people already know that Samsung's South Korean workers suffering from cancer and other diseases, but they still do not understand our goals. Most people think that we just accept Samsung's compensation, why spend the effort for an official compensation system? But recently our attention for their participation in the "most unscrupulous Enterprise Award (Public Eye award)," and get promoted, it is the world's worst elect the company's activities. Samsung got the third place (laughs)! After a German television program began to focus on this issue, sonar many Europeans have understood this. Previously, in South Korea there is no mainstream media will pay attention to this issue, which was due to Samsung's pressure (due to Samsung's advertising is their main source of income), so even if there are several major television programs want to deal with this issue, also because sonar Samsung threats will take away all of the advertising, but ultimately not for public broadcasting.
DK: I have always been opposed to the concept of consumer boycott action, sonar because they are prone to failure and difficult to achieve any real results. And Samsung has a global sonar market, in a small region of the boycott is hardly effective. Only symbolic. I
