A China-based supplier for Samsung Electronics Co and Lenovo Group Ltd (聯想) said yesterday it had never hired child labor, denying allegations by US-based monitor China Labor Watch.
Samsung also said it had found no children or students working on the Samsung production line at the Huizhou factory of supplier HEG Technology Co Ltd (海格), which was cited as violating China’s labor laws by China Labor Watch.
A Lenovo spokeswoman said the company would look into the report.
In a statement, China Labor Watch said it had found more than 10 children working at the HEG factory during an investigation that took place this month and last month. It also said the probe had found over 100 student workers who were not being paid overtime wages or a night-shift subsidy.
The watchdog said it had shared the evidence with Samsung last week and that Samsung demanded the supplier pay some students’ wages. It did not say whether Samsung took any action on the matter of child labor or whether it had reached out to Lenovo with the information.
An employee surnamed Zeng at HEG Technology’s human resources department told reporters the company had never hired children and that it had facial recognition systems in place to ensure workers were not underage.
For Samsung products, HEG employees are aged 18 and over while the minimum age for workers on Lenovo’s product lines is 16 years old, she said. The company relies on an outsourcing company to hire students, she added.
In its statement, Samsung said it had proposed to China Labor Watch that they conduct a joint on site investigation “for more precise verification” of the allegations.
Samsung also said it had informed the watchdog about the results of its own investigation, and said: “We find it regrettable that China Labor Watch issued the allegations today without any mention of our statement.”
This is the second time in as many months that China Labor Watch has said it found children working at one of Samsung’s Chinese suppliers.
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