Tell Samsung: End Smartphone Sweatshops

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Since 2007, over 100 Samsung factory workers in South Korea have died due to work-related diseases, while hundreds more have fallen ill. A 2017 report revealed that workers in a Vietnamese Samsung factory were prone to illness, and miscarriages were so common among pregnant women that they were expected.

Something is wrong when so many people are falling ill simply by doing their jobs.

In 2018, Samsung finally began taking steps to clean up its supply chain. Samsung published a list of 11 chemicals it is restricting or banning in its supply chain. Samsung also signed a binding agreement which includes implementing safety measures in Korean Samsung factories and fairer compensation schemes for victims.

While these are promising first steps, they are not enough.

The electronics industry uses more than 11 chemicals. In fact, other industry leaders have begun publishing more comprehensive Manufacturing Restricted Substances Lists (MRSL) that detail restrictions in chemical use and plans for replacing hazardous chemicals with alternatives.

Furthermore, the two chemicals that Samsung banned – n-hexane and benzene – were banned by Apple back in 2014, thanks to consumer pressure from Green Americans. This shows that, despite the progress Samsung is beginning to make, Samsung is behind the curve with their chemical policy.

Meanwhile, although Samsung is implementing safety measures and compensation schemes for Korean factory workers, these measures do not extend to Samsung factory workers in other countries. And this is a big problem – over half of Samsung’s cell phones are manufactured in Vietnam alone.

Although we celebrate the steps that Samsung has begun to take to improve labor conditions within their supply chain, these are just the first steps in improving labor conditions for Samsung factory workers. Without a comprehensive plan to monitor and remove hazardous chemicals from Samsung factories, young workers continue to risk their lives every day just by doing their jobs.

Stand up for Samsung workers by signing this open letter to Samsung’s CEO calling for the company to protect all their workers.

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CEOs of Samsung

Subject: Samsung, Take Care of Your Workers and Accept the Recommendations of the Mediation Committee

Message:

I am a concerned consumer that wants to make sure that the electronics I purchase are not made under conditions that poison and abuse workers. I am urging Samsung to end its practices of worker exploitation in general, including excessive hours, abuse of employees, and violations of employee rights, including the right to organize a union. It is essential that all workers and/or their families impacted by toxins in all Samsung factories be appropriately compensated for their diseases, and that those compensated be allowed to speak publicly. It is also essential that Samsung engage in an open and effective strategy for assessing toxins in the workplace and incorporating safer chemicals into production in order to prevent future diseases. While banning n-hexane and benzene are encouraging first steps, Samsung's competitors have begun publishing comprehensive Manufacturing Restricted Substances Lists that go beyond what Samsung has disclosed thus far. I urge you to publish a full list of chemicals used in your supply chain, and implement plans to replace hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives. Consumer awareness of the links between electronics manufacturing and worker illness is growing, and more and more Americans are looking for electronics companies to act responsibly and transparently. To protect your workers in the future, and retain your customers, it is essential that Samsung protect the rights of all workers in all of the factories that manufacture Samsung products. I am joining with concerned citizens from more than 24 countries to raise my voice in support of past, present, and future Samsung workers. Regards,

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