The complaint comes in the wake of France adopting a law which states that MNCs that sell their products in the country must respect the human rights of its employees as well as their work environment.
On Thursday, two rights groups from France filed a suit against South Korea electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd over alleged deceptive marketing practices.
NGOs, ActionAid-Peuples solidaires and Sherpa have alleged that Samsung Electronics had contradicted commitments it had made earlier vis a vis the fundamental rights of its employees in South Korea and China.
They alleged that Samsung Electronics had used its commitments as a marketing tool.
Their complaint has been lodged with the Paris prosecutor against Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and its French subsidiary Samsung Electronics France (SEF).
Samsung Electronics stated on its website that it abides by local laws and rules and applies a strict code of conduct.
A spokeswoman for SEF did not respond to a call and written request seeking comment.
Samsung Electronics, the world’s maker of smartphones, chips and televisions, stated “will respect the basic human rights of all employees” and it “will not employ underage persons”. Further, it also said, it will respect local laws to safeguard the health of employees.
The complaint comes in the wake of Samsung Electronics adopting a “corporate duty vigilance law” in France under which MNCs that sell that products in the country must respect human rights as well as the environment in which they operate.
“We’re asking the judiciary authority to sanction this unacceptable gap between these ethical commitments and the reality as observed in the factories by local NGOs,” said Sherpa in a statement.
Having reviewed the complaint, the Paris prosecutor will decide to either open a preliminary investigation or close the case.
Sherpa shot to in the limelight following a legal action against LafargeHolcim, a cement group, for having allegedly paid armed groups including Islamic State militants, to keep operating in Syria from 2011-2015.
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