A French activist group has filed a lawsuit against Samsung over its use of false advertising due to its use of child labour and violating workers right. Its is also accused of tolerating unsafe conditions in its facilities, in Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil and India. This is not new, the company has been battling cases of poor worker conditions and even deaths for some time now.

This has resurfaced again after information leaked about child labour being used in its factory prompting the activist to take legal action. Such allegations can cause serious damage and embarrassment to a company. Social conscious companies appeal to younger generation, buyers now take time to understand the supply chain and often support producers who display elements of social responsibility. Clearly Samsung is teetering on social deficit.

Samsung Electronics, hires 310,000 employees across its global operations making smartphones, TV’s, washing machines to rice cookers and water purifiers, and ensuring the health and safety of the workers who help build them should be top priority. But in Samsung its not the case. Earlier this month, South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh reported that some of Samsung’s production facilities in Vietnam, India and Indonesia had violated several workplace standards. The report claimed that it underpaid employees in the India and Indonesia factories. However, Samsung disputes this and claims it pays all of its employees – including contract workers – are paid above the minimum wage and the levels set by law.  Additionally the paper, also reports employees at Samsung’s facilities had not been aware of chemical substances used in the production process. And an employee death at the Thai Nguyen plant in Vietnam in 2016 was potentially related to overworking and chemical exposure.

Again Samsung disputes these reports, stating that the working hours and conditions during the employees four-month employment complied with regulations and while an investigation by the Vietnamese authorities showed that her cause of death was not related to her employment at the factory. It will be tough for the company to keep issuing statements spun by Public Relation experts when there is so many said cases stacked against, just Google and you will find pages of worker violation under its belt. Even the United Nations has asked Samsung to explain on these reports.

The company has been trying to fix its image, it became a member of the Responsible Business Alliance and conforms to the RBA Code of Conduct and its implementation methods, including due diligence across the company and suppliers. Over 2018 – 2019, it collaborated with Business for Social Responsibility – a global non-profit organization specializing in human rights – to conduct a Human Rights Impact Assessment for Samsung Electronics Vietnam. Its using the findings to put more measures in place to improve employee health and safety. All worksites are now obligated to follow the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive and the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) standards.

Samsung now provides regular training for employees who handle chemicals and conduct routine inspections of chemical storage and facilities management. These are all reactive measures which should have been in place for a global operator. Asian company often fail to comply international standards, what is norm in this continent can be gross violation in the Western world. Samsung is not the only company under investigation, Panasonic, Foxconn, Huawei are all listed for committing poor worker standards and abuse. And where are they all from…Asia!