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Samsung is taking action to ensure its suppliers are compliant with Chinese labour laws after its latest audits found some problems with the way employees were being treated.
According to Samsung’s blog, the company has conducted on-site inspections of 105 of its Chinese suppliers, covering more than 65,000 workers, after it was alleged that one of the companies had hired underage workers.
The audits found no evidence of such practices, but did uncover examples of “inadequate practices” at some sites. These included excessive overtime beyond regulated limits and a system of fines for absences or lateness.
Among the measures to be taken are the introduction of new measures to ensure that employees are of the legal age, including equipment designed to scan for fake IDs. Irregularities in labour contracts are to be eliminated and suppliers are to supply a copy of the contracts to all employees, and the fine system is to be abolished.
The reduction of enforced overtime is apparently a top priority for Samsung, which has pledged to provide financial support to allow suppliers to invest in equipment and hire more workers if necessary.
“Samsung takes concerns about working conditions in China seriously and, whenever an issue is identified, we take immediate and appropriate steps to correct it,” read Samsung’s report.
“Our goal is to assess, improve, and continuously monitor every aspect of working conditions at Samsung supplier facilities to meet our own high standards.”
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