ID :
190854
Fri, 06/24/2011 - 12:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/190854
The shortlink copeid
Court draws connection between industrial hazard and leukemia for first time
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- A local court on Thursday ruled that the deaths of two workers at Samsung Electronics from leukemia should be considered industrial accidents, drawing a connection for the first time between working conditions at semiconductor assembly lines and the illness.
The ruling widens the path to acknowledging industrial accidents, having been made when controversy persisted over the correlation between the working environment at semiconductor plants and leukemia. The court deduced that the deaths of the two workers could have been caused by continuous exposure to toxic chemicals and harmful radiation.
Samsung Electronics is rebutting that the court ruling runs contrary to research findings by state institutes and will make public research conclusions by foreign institutes.
It is not for us to judge Samsung's intent to disprove that the conditions at its semiconductor plant are so dangerous as to cause leukemia. But given the court's ruling making the link between the two, it is a matter of course to make due efforts to improve the conditions. We hope that the work site be inspected thoroughly to ensure perfect safety, enough to end the controversy. We also hope that the company will not spare effort to help the workers who have died or are battling work-related illnesses so that the cases can be acknowledged as industrial accidents. We remind the company of its public pledge to do its best to create safe and sound working conditions.
Unfitting of its national economy that ranks near world's top 10, South Korea is an underdeveloped nation in terms of the frequency of industrial accidents. Many say that the laws for protecting and compensating victims of such accidents are still far from satisfactory, that the guidelines on acknowledging work-related accidents should be revised to better fit reality.
If more monetary resources are needed, then let's find and prevent frauds and misuse of compensation funds.
Compensation is the last lifeline that victims of industrial accidents can rely on. Authorities should look at whether the system is working properly.
The ruling widens the path to acknowledging industrial accidents, having been made when controversy persisted over the correlation between the working environment at semiconductor plants and leukemia. The court deduced that the deaths of the two workers could have been caused by continuous exposure to toxic chemicals and harmful radiation.
Samsung Electronics is rebutting that the court ruling runs contrary to research findings by state institutes and will make public research conclusions by foreign institutes.
It is not for us to judge Samsung's intent to disprove that the conditions at its semiconductor plant are so dangerous as to cause leukemia. But given the court's ruling making the link between the two, it is a matter of course to make due efforts to improve the conditions. We hope that the work site be inspected thoroughly to ensure perfect safety, enough to end the controversy. We also hope that the company will not spare effort to help the workers who have died or are battling work-related illnesses so that the cases can be acknowledged as industrial accidents. We remind the company of its public pledge to do its best to create safe and sound working conditions.
Unfitting of its national economy that ranks near world's top 10, South Korea is an underdeveloped nation in terms of the frequency of industrial accidents. Many say that the laws for protecting and compensating victims of such accidents are still far from satisfactory, that the guidelines on acknowledging work-related accidents should be revised to better fit reality.
If more monetary resources are needed, then let's find and prevent frauds and misuse of compensation funds.
Compensation is the last lifeline that victims of industrial accidents can rely on. Authorities should look at whether the system is working properly.
