Workers Riot at
Samsung Factory Site in Vietnam
RFA
– 01/09/2014
Thousands of workers building a plant for South Korean electronics giant Samsung
in northern Vietnam clashed Thursday with police and burned motorbikes in a rare
outbreak of labor violence triggered by an argument with security guards at the
construction site.
Local media reported 11 people were injured after between 3,000 and 4,000
workers rioted at the Yen Binh industrial park in Thai Nguyen province where
Samsung is building its largest mobile phone factory in the world.
The violence erupted around 7:00 a.m. when, according to Samsung, a “brief
altercation occurred between a group of construction workers and security guards
over safety protocols” at the site, some 60 kilometers (40 miles) north of
Hanoi.
Motorbikes and containers used as guard posts were set alight as workers hurled
rocks at police in riot gear who were summoned to restore order.
Citizen video posted online showed smoke billowing from burning containers and
workers, many of them wearing construction helmets, pelting stones at riot
police.
Provincial People’s Committee Chairman Duong Ngoc Long said police restored
order after a few hours, refuting early local media reports of up to four deaths
in the clash.
“The situation has been brought under control. Everything was under control from
about 10:30 am,” he told RFA’s Vietnamese Service.
“I also confirm that there were no deaths,” he said.
Massive complex
Construction at the site has not been affected, Samsung wrote in a statement on
its official blog.
“Those injured were immediately sent to nearby hospitals for treatment,” it
said.
“We will do our utmost to prevent any such incidents from recurring in the
future,” said the company, which has poured U.S. $3.2 billion into a massive
complex in the industrial park.
The complex comprises two plants, one specializing in cell phones and tablets
and the other manufacturing microprocessors and integrated circuits.
Samsung and other tech companies such as Intel and Nokia are increasingly moving
production to Vietnam, where labor costs are cheaper than in neighboring China.
Some 10,000 production and construction workers, mostly local residents, have
been employed at the complex since work began on it in March.
Hoa Binh Security Service Company, which provides guards at the site, has sent
representatives to investigate the incident, according to reports in local
media.
Provincial police have said they are conducting their own investigation but have
made no mention of any arrests.
Reported by Mac Lam for RFA’s Vietnamese Service. Translated by Viet Ha.
Written in English by Rachel Vandenbrink.