Samsung Electronics has announced today that it will create a 100 billion won ($85.8 million) fund to compensate cancer-stricken workers and their families, the money will also be used to prevent such diseases at its chip and display manufacturing facilities. According to the company's statement this fund is going to make payments to workers or families and contractors who got sick while working at its manufacturing plants. In order to improve worker safety this fund is also going to pay for research, development of experts and other methods to ensure that such incidents are curtailed.
Sharps, an activist group in South Korea which represents many cancer-stricken workers, says that it's aware of about 200 workers who fell ill after working at a Samsung plant. While the group didn't comment on Samsung's new fund it did say that 70 of those workers have passed away. Samsung's decision to set up the fund comes following negotiations with workers and their families as well as outside experts with regards to the company's responsibility for the workers who have complained about contracting illnesses such as leukemia and lymphoma due to increase exposure to radiation and dangerous chemicals at Samsung's manufacturing facilities. Samsung issued a public apology to workers and their families back in May 2014.
