Limitless Compensation
Regarding the occupational disease controversy over workers at its semiconductor plants, Samsung Electronics announced on Jan. 16 that it will extend its scope of compensation to include its workers who developed any blood-related cancers, including leukemia, and all former workers who left the company a decade ago.
Samsung Electronics said, “We decided to widen the scope of compensation to include victims with all kinds of blood cancers, including leukemia. Also, we will include patients with brain tumors and breast cancer as well, which were already recognized as industrial accidents.”
Anyone who developed lymphohematopoietic cancers, including leukemia, brain tumors, and breast cancer while working in semiconductor workplaces from 1 to 5 years, or 10 years after retirement, can be compensated without consideration of the causal relationship.
Samsung Electronics stressed, “Since this is a measure to repay their contributions to the development of the company, we won’t set a limit on compensation for industrial accidents and damage.”
Regarding the amount of compensation, the company only suggested the basic standard. Samsung said, “Since there is no clear objective standard or causal relationship, it is hard to choose an appropriate amount of compensation. However, we will set it at a reasonable standard.”
Moreover, based on the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the company will extend the period of material preservation by two times, compared with the period of legal duty. Also, it will keep medical examination results for up to 30 years.
Regarding the issue, Banolim, the group representing the affected former Samsung workers and their families, demands that the company should compensate all current workers who have worked there for more than 3 months, as well as all former workers who left the company in the past 20 years, for all kinds of cancer, rare incurable diseases, and even infertility that they suffer after working at a Samsung plant.