Trade Resources Policy & Opinion Samsung Has Been Taken to Court in Brazil for Claims of Violating Labour Laws

Samsung Has Been Taken to Court in Brazil for Claims of Violating Labour Laws

South Korean firm Samsung has been taken to court in Brazil for claims of violating labour laws.

In a legal suit filed on Friday and now made public, prosecutors have accused the company of making its employees work long, tiring shifts without adequate breaks, the BBC reported.

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The prosecutors' office in Manaus which is the capital city of the Amazon region where Samsung's factory is based claimed that one employee reported that they packed nearly 3,000 phones a day.

Prosecutors also allege that workers only have 32 seconds to completely assemble a mobile phone and just over a minute to put together a television set. Employees have suggested that that shifts can last 15 hours, and others have told prosecutors that they suffer from back ache and cramps as a result of the demands placed on them in the job, with many of the duties which can take up to 10 hours a day requiring them to stand.

Samsung, which competes with Apple in the smartphone market with its range of Galaxy smartphones, said that the appropriate action would be taken "as soon as they are officially notified", and in the meanwhile it would analyse the situation and co-operate with Brazilian authorities.

"We are committed to offering our collaborators around the world a work environment that ensures the highest standards when it comes to safety, health and well-being," Samsung said in a statement.

The prosecutors' office is claiming more than 250m reais (£70m) in damages from the company for what it deems as serious violations of labour legislation.

Source: http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2288712/samsung-violated-labour-laws-in-brazil#comment_form
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Samsung "Violated Labour Laws" in Brazil