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Samsung Refutes Child Labour Allegations at Chinese Supplier
Published on:
Samsung says that it has found some problems at a Chinese supplier, but denies recent reports that the supplier had been employing under-age children to work in its factories.
Last month, China Labor Watch released an investigative report on Samsung's supplier HEG Electronics, in which it claimed that ity had uncovered issues of child labor and student labor exploitation as well as several other problems.
Samsung launched an investigation, and said that while it found some staff under the age of 18 working in the factories, there were no staff under the legal age of 16 there. The company said those aged 16-18 were student workers or interns.
China Labor Watch had claimed that 80% of the workforce were "student workers", although Samsung did not comment on that figure.
"The audit identified several instances of inadequate management and potentially unsafe practices. A system of fines for lateness or absences was found to be in operation. Instances of overtime beyond local regulations, or over 9 hours per week, were identified. Certain health and safety measures were inadequate, such as a failure to provide access to a medical clinic." the company said in a statement.
Samsung said that it has demanded that HEG immediately improve its working conditions.
The company added that it will complete on-site inspections by the end of September for all 105 supplier companies in China who solely produce products for Samsung. Inspections will be conducted by a team consisting of around 100 Samsung employees who will be dispatched from Samsung headquarters to China.
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