Samsung Electronics is facing charges over alleged labour abuses and child labour in France following a complaint filed by Sherpa and ActionAid France on 25 June 2018 against Samsung France and its parent company in South Korea. ActionAid and Sherpa have accused Samsung of misleading advertising as they say it touts ethical commitments to workers' rights that it does not respect in its factories in China, South Korea and Vietnam. Alleged violations include child labour, health and safety breaches and other labour abuses. The decision to investigate Samsung is historic, as it is rare for a French company to be sued by the courts for its activities abroad.
Samsung has provided a repsonse to the case, saying it disputes the validity of the legal complaint. Its full response is included below.
Samsung's response to Sherpa case
Author: Samsung Electronics
... We are aware of the legal complaint against Samsung... We are disputing its validity, and cannot comment further on the content of the investigation since this is an ongoing proceeding. We wish to remove any ambiguity created by the word “indicted”... Samsung France has been put under examination, which means that the investigation is still ongoing and that no conclusive decision has been taken regarding the allegations...
The issues highlighted by SHERPA date back several years, and concern reports or incidents to which Samsung has responded previously. We wish to share with you specifically how we have dealt and are dealing with Child Labor, responsible minerals as well as our commitments to uphold labor and human rights.
Samsung upholds a zero tolerance policy on child labor - both in our own facilities and the facilities of our suppliers... all of our subsidiaries and suppliers, and not only in China, must comply with the strict employment process (age verification) to prevent child labor employment...
...we have been investigating all cobalt smelters related to our company...
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