Following the recent tragic suicide by Ming Kunpeng, a 27-year old factory worker from China, who suffered from occupational leukaemia, GoodElectronics has addressed a letter to Dutch electronics company ASMI, the mother company of ASMPT where Min Kunpeng got ill. GoodElectronics calls upon the company to take its responsibility and to properly look after occupational victims . So far, there has been no response from ASMI to this recent letter.

Following the death of Ming Kunpeng, a 27-year old factory worker from China, GoodElectronics recently addressed a letter to his employer ASMI. In this letter, GoodElectronics confronts ASMI with its intransigent attitude and calls upon the company to look into GE’s concerns and suggestions. So far, there has been no response from ASMI.

Ming suffered from leukaemia after having worked with benzene on a daily basis for years. He became one of the few workers in China to actually receive the occupational leukaemia diagnosis. However, ASMI did not provide sufficient compensation to get him the medical care he needed. Last December, Ming felt so desperate that he committed suicide.

The suggestions brought forward by GE in the letter are:

  • Establish a health and safety committee led by workers;
  • Provide a health and safety committee with all necessary safety and health related information, including full information on all hazardous substances used in ASMPT facilities;
  • Establish a comprehensive health and safety programme, developed jointly with workers’ representatives, that specifies adequate OHS policies and practices, in consultation with independent OHS experts;
  • Immediately eliminate exposure to benzene; preferably by substitution with safer alternatives, but if this is not possible through engineering controls that isolate or control workplace contamination at or near the source, or as a last resort through proper personal protective equipment such as the correct respiratory protective equipment, properly implemented, fitted, and maintained;
  • All workers shall have access to regular health checks as part of a jointly-managed medical programme; and all workers participating in the programme shall receive a copy of the medical report;
  • Current cases of occupational leukaemia must be properly diagnosed and treated by independent and specialised medical institutions;
  • Negotiations with workers’ representatives regarding individual workers’ compensation should be resumed immediately, with a view to timely and fair settlement;
  • ASMI should ensure access to high quality medical care for all workers.

 

The points above were raised earlier in May 2013, in a joint letter with IndustriALL and FNV. To this letter, ASMI responded that “ASM Pacific Technology is no longer a subsidiary of ASM International” and that “the chemicals used in the workplace did not contain benzene”.