"Samsung consents to conclusive arbitration on leukemia victims' dispute", 22 Jul 2018

Samsung Electronics and South Korean labor advocacy group SHARPS [Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor industry] have agreed to unconditionally accept a mediation body’s proposed compensation plan for those who contracted serious illnesses, including leukemia, while working at Samsung’s semiconductor and display production sites. Samsung Electronics said…that the two sides have agreed to accept without objection an “arbitration plan” to be proposed by a state-appointed legal body, and effectively end an 11-year-old dispute over occupational illnesses at the tech giant…

The resolution is expected to include details on compensation for those affiliated with SHARPS, measures to compensate for new occupational illnesses that may arise in the future, Samsung Electronics’ formal apology and a halt to SHARPS’ demonstrations, according to local news reports…

The Samsung leukemia victim case dates back to 2007, when Hwang Yu-mi, who worked for four years bathing silicon wafers in chemicals at Samsung Electronics’ semiconductors factory, died of leukemia at the age of 22…Yu-mi’s father…initiated a social movement demanding the government investigate health risks at Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor and liquid crystal display production sites…According to data released by SHARPS in June, the advocacy group has documented more than 360 cases of work-related disease…So far, 99 lawsuits have been filed seeking damages for occupational diseases, and 29 have been successful, it said.

The Samsung spokesperson said the firm has already managed to settle some 130 occupational disease compensation cases…and hopes to reach a “complete resolution” through the recent agreement reached with the advocacy group…