Who is SHARPS?
We are Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor industry. We are composed of independent labor unions (KCTU), human right groups, occupational safety and health (OSH) groups, progressive political parties, and workers’ organizations against Samsung.
What are the goals of SHARPS?
- To reveal the truth about the health and workers’ rights conditions in the electronics industry and in Samsung
- To achieve proper compensation for worker victims
- To achieve workers’ fundamental rights in Samsung
- To resist the globalization of neoliberalism
What do we do?
- Solidarity
– Solidarity with the irregular workers’ union of Dongwoo Fine-chem, a subcontractor of Samsung
– Solidarity with the ‘Suwon Candles’ of citizens near the Gi-heung factory
– International solidarity through ANROAV
- Help
– In the process of claiming national workers’ compensation for 7 victims of leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors.
– Fund-raising campaign to support Jee-yeon Park and Hye-kyoung Han.
- Actions
– Various actions including protest visits, open inquiries, press conferences, rallies, and sit-in demonstrations demanding thorough investigation and fair decisions by government.
– Public memorial anniversary of Yu-mi Hwang on every March 6 as “Memorial Day for the victims of occupational injuries and diseases of the semiconductor industry”.
– One-man picketing while handing out materials in front of Samsung semiconductor factories once a week.
– Joint candle rally with Dongwoo-Finechem union in front of the Samsung headquarter office building once a month.
– Public relations actions in front of various semiconductor factories.
- Research
– Open conferences at Choong-nam & Gyong-gi where factories of Samsung electronic are concentrated.
– Review scientific datas
– Legal actions through attorney group
- Publicity
– Web page (in Korean) at http://cafe.daum.net/samsunglabor
– Publish the Korean edition of the ‘Challenging the Chip’ (Nov. 2009)
– Publish ‘Samsung semiconductor & Leukemia’ in Korean (Jan. 2010)
– Make a series of movies of victims and the hazards of semiconductor industry
– Visit and meet various progressive groups
– Open statements of victims
– Picketing and petitions at mass rallies like May Day anniversary
[…] SHARPs and KCTU have also written to and protested to the government and police to demand a thorough investigation. The sad death of young Joo-hyun is only one in a long string of tragic deaths of young Samsung workers in South Korea. […]
[…] also include Mexico’s CEREAL (Center for Reflection and Action on Labor Rights), South Korea’s SHARPS (Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry), China’s Labor […]
[…] include Mexico’s CEREAL (Center for Reflection and Action on Labor Rights), South Korea’s SHARPS (Supporters for the Health and Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry), China’s Labor […]
My heart goes out to everyone who has become ill due to chemical exposure as well as their families. Something needs to be done about large companies that give no regard to their employees health. I worked in Raytheon Systems for 11 years, I was always ill while working there. I complained to them about painful headaches which began within 10 minutes of entering my work place, my nose would run. I was told the chemicals were completely harmless. The chemical safety data sheets stated otherwise – carcinogenic, toxic, mutagen, tetragen, causes damage to the central nervous system, causes birth defects!! I used a variety of chemicals during this time, toluene, formaldahyde, exopy resins, methylethyleketone, as well as flux and lead solder. I always developed chesty coughs (I have never smoked). A number of these chemicals are carcinogens and cause central nervous system damage. Lead is known to cause deafness. I am 41 and now wear a hearing aid due to hearing loss on one side. I have recently been diagnosed with a 2cm x 2.5cm brain tumour. I wish I had never worked there, I am so glad I left.
[…] südkoreanischen Gesundheitsorganisation SHARPS (Supporters fort he Health and Right of People in Semiconductor Industry) zufolge sind bisher rund […]
[…] Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor industry (SHARPS) […]
Hello dear crusaders,
I am a patient of Brain Tumour while working at the samsung factory in NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh state of INDIA and being harassed at the workplace for flase allegations of inefficiency in performance while getting my chemotherapy forced me to resign after 8 years of dedicated service to Samsung India. This news reports confirms my instinct that I a teetotaler, pure vegetarian healthy 30 year old developed brain tumor due to my persistant hardwork as an employee at the factory.
Kindly guide me how I can bring forth my ordeal of ill health and subsequent deterioration of my professional prospectus due to this calamity in my life and expect some sort of justice.
Hello dear crusaders,
I am a patient of Brain Tumour while working at the samsung factory in NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh state of INDIA and being harassed at the workplace for flase allegations of inefficiency in performance while getting my chemotherapy forced me to resign after 8 years of dedicated service to Samsung India. This news reports confirms my instinct that I a teetotaler, pure vegetarian healthy 30 year old developed brain tumor due to my persistant hardwork as an employee at the factory.
Kindly guide me how I can bring forth my ordeal of ill health and subsequent deterioration of my professional prospectus due to this calamity in my life and expect some sort of justice.
Has anything improved? I saw the lawsuit in 2018 and I’m wondering if things are changing. I work for the US side and I know the regulations here are different, but still wonder what I’m being exposed to.