France´s French branch accused Samsung Electronics France of "fraudulent business practices" last April in an investigation into possible human rights abuses in factories, sources said Wednesday. The group is especially in China.
The charge came after a representative of the French branch of the world´s largest smartphone group was asked on April 17 by a French judge following a civil suit filed by the non-governmental organizations Cherpa and Exxonid-Bhopal Solidere.
This new complaint filed after the reduction of many other procedures, aims to circumvent the prosecution´s refusal to continue investigations, through the request of a judge to investigate directly take over the file.
"This is the first time in France that moral commitments made by a company can be recognized as binding trade practices for those who adopt them," the two non-governmental organizations said in a statement.
In a lawsuit filed in June 2018 and seen by Agence France-Presse, the two organizations accuse the Electronic Industries Group of not respecting their moral commitments, although they are listed on its website.
"In 2012, Samsung confirms that it meets" strictly "ethical laws and standards. " We respect the fundamental rights of all and strictly prohibit forced labor, wage exploitation and child slavery, "she said.
In order to confirm the legality of the proceedings in France, the two organizations considered that it was sufficient that the message in question was open to the public in France and therefore by the French consumers, so that the French institutions would be entitled to consider it .
The two non-governmental organizations based on their reports on human rights organizations that visited the group of factories in China, South Korea and Vietnam to condemn "the use of children under the age of 16", "exploitation in working hours", "conditions of work" and accommodation contrary to human dignity "and" exposing workers At risk ".
