The South Korean company Samsung Electronics is one of the giant global corporations in the world of electronics. Samsung since its founding in the late 1930's, the company has been ferociously anti union.

 

Its Electronic arm of the company, Samsung Electronics, has also had a shocking health and safety record. There have been hundreds of recorded cases of assembly line workers contracting diseases and even dying because of the toxic nature of their work.

 

After years of campaigning, actions and sit-ins, SHARPS (Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor industry) the OHS advocacy group managed to force the company to the negotiating table. APC recently interviewed Jeong Ok Kong, volunteer for SHARPS and the person in charge of compensation negotiations with the Samsung Electronics Corporation on their recent victory.

In addition, finally, for the first time ever, an independent union has now been able to be organised and registered for workers in Samsung Electronics in South Korea.

Asia Pacific Currents provides updates of labour struggles and campaigns from the Asia Pacific region. It is produced by Australia Asia Worker Links, in the studio of 3CR Radio in Melbourne, Australia