Court recognizes semiconductor worker's cancer as occupational disease; calls for urgent worker protection measures

The recent court ruling recognizing a semiconductor factory worker's breast cancer as an occupational disease marks a significant victory for labor rights in South Korea's high-tech industry. This landmark decision, achieved through an administrative lawsuit, challenges the previous denial by the Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service and highlights the long-term health risks associated with semiconductor manufacturing.

“

The semiconductor workers at Amkor Korea are exposed to numerous chemicals and three-shift night work, suffering from various illnesses such as sleep disorders, liver disease, and cancer.

The case of the 40-year-old female worker, who endured over a decade of exposure to hazardous chemicals and demanding shift work at Amkor Technology Korea and SK Hynix, underscores the hidden toll of rapid industrialization. Despite initial rejection based on perceived low levels of exposure and short shift work history, the court's acknowledgment of the potential for cumulative harm over 14 years of employment is crucial. This ruling emphasizes that even seemingly minor exposures, when prolonged, can have severe health consequences.

“

However, Amkor Korea only notifies us with results like 'below legal hazardous standards' and 'no abnormalities in measurement results' after conducting workplace environment measurements and risk assessments.

From the perspective of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Gwangju-Jeonnam branch, this verdict is a call to action. They rightly point out that behind Amkor's status as a global leader in semiconductor back-end processing lie the suffering of its workers. The union's criticism of the company's "irresponsible attitude" and their demands for enhanced safety measures, including support for treatment, extended leave, and union participation in workplace environment assessments, are vital. This case brings to the fore the urgent need for greater corporate accountability and robust government oversight to protect the health and well-being of semiconductor workers, who are essential to the nation's economic future.

“

There are many workers who are put back into shift work after cancer treatment. We urge for expanded support for sick workers, including treatment cost support and additional leave, guaranteed union participation in workplace environment measurements, and provision of a safe working environment for workers undergoing cancer treatment.