Samsung has suspended business with a Chinese supplier over allegations of employing child labour.
The move comes a week after a US watchdog report accused the supplier of using underaged workers and Samsung promised to investigate.
Samsung said its investigations had found an “illegal hiring process” at Dongguan Shinyang Electronics which supplies mobile phone covers and parts.
Samsung added that it had previously found no child workers at the Chinese company in three audits since 2013. The latest audit ended on June 25.
The company said that it would cut all ties with the supplier if the allegations were true.
“If the investigations conclude that the supplier indeed hired children illegally, Samsung will permanently halt business with the supplier in accordance with its zero-tolerance policy on child labour,” it said.
US-based China Labor Watch released a report on last week claiming that the Chinese firm used child labour. The watchdog said it had found “at least five child workers” without contracts at the supplier.
Samsung demands suppliers adopt a hiring process that includes face-to-face interviews and the use of scanners to detect fake IDs, to ensure no child labourers are employed.
China Labor Watch said that Samsung’s monitoring system was ineffective because it was failing to catch the use of child labour by the supplier.
