Brazil Sues Samsung over Poor Working Conditions

According to the prosecutors' office in the city of Manaus, a worker at the local Samsung factory has only 32 seconds to fully assemble a mobile phone and 65 seconds to put together a television set. Photo by EPA/BGNES

South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co. is facing a lawsuit from Brazil's government over poor working conditions at the company's assembly lines.

The lawsuit is seeking USD 108 M in damages for serious violations of labor laws at Samsung's Manaus factory, including shifts of up to 15 hours and insufficient breaks, according to reports of the BBC News, citing a media statement of labor rights group Reporter Brasil.

Samsung's Brazilian plant in the city of Manaus is one of the company's largest factories worldwide and has a staff of 6000.

According to the prosecutors' office in the city of Manaus, a worker at the local Samsung factory has only 32 seconds to fully assemble a mobile phone and 65 seconds to put together a television set.

Employees told prosecutors they suffered from health problems such as back ache and cramps as they had to work on their feet for up to 10 hours a day.

The lawsuit was filed on Friday, but has only now been made public.

In a statement, the company said it would analyze the process and fully co-operate with the Brazilian authorities.