SHARPS (Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor Industry)
Mission Statement
- On November 20, 2007, 19 civil society organizations formed a joint committee
SHARPS is a non-governmental organization dedicated to protecting the health and human rights of workers in the semiconductor and electronics industries.
We work to achieve recognition of occupational diseases affecting semiconductor workers and support workers so they can work in safe and healthy conditions. Our activities include counseling and assistance for victims of occupational illnesses, support for workers’ compensation claims, research on workplace hazards, advocacy for policy and institutional reform, and solidarity with domestic and international labor and human rights organizations.
Through these efforts, SHARPS seeks to prevent industrial diseases, ensure corporate accountability, and promote dignity, safety, and justice for all workers in the semiconductor and electronics industries.
https://ipen.org/documents/samsung-ignores-human-rights-violations-outlined-its-whistleblower
My dog bit you and hurt you, but it wasn’t my fault.
Despite a damning series of revelations,1 Samsung failed to respond to a recent inquiry from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) about “long-standing and widespread mismanagement of toxic chemicals and environmental violations” revealed by a Samsung whistleblower and described in our press release and reporting below. BHRRC also asked the company to respond to the tragic methanol poisoning at one of Samsung’s suppliers in Vietnam. In their response, Samsung used step four of the 4 Dog Defense: “My dog bit you and hurt you, but it wasn’t my fault.” In this step, the company admits that exposure to a toxic substance such as methanol caused harm, but tries to shift the blame away from itself.
CGFED, SHARPS, and IPEN wrote to BHRRC to outline Samsung’s human rights violations revealed by the company’s whistleblower and describe how lax management resulted in the recent methanol poisoning (please see letter below). The Samsung whistleblower is a former manager of environmental health and safety at Samsung Vietnam and his testimony is highly relevant to Samsung’s current operations at its overseas factories and suppliers.