Brazil halts BYD factory amid modern slavery allegations
The authorities in Brazil have suspended the construction of the electric car factory by the Chinese corporation BYD following an inspection that revealed conditions akin to modern slavery. Workers were found sleeping on beds without mattresses, lacking tables, and the sanitary facilities were in deplorable condition. The Chinese company has responded to these allegations.
Officials from the Brazilian Ministry of Labour announced that they "freed 163 workers from conditions akin to modern slavery" from the Chinese construction company Jinjiang Construction Brazil. These workers had been employed in the construction of the electric car factory by the Chinese corporation BYD in the city of Camaçari, in the state of Bahia, in eastern Brazil.
BYD: Modern slavery allegations during factory construction
Officials, with the support of police services, confirmed the appalling conditions during the construction of the BYD factory. It was found that the situation was "particularly critical," with only one toilet available for 31 workers, causing some workers to wake up at 8 AM Greenwich Time to stand in line and be ready to leave for work by 9:30 AM. In one of the facilities, workers slept on beds without mattresses and had no lockers for personal belongings. These were stored together with food items. Meals were eaten on beds as there were no tables.
BYD stated that the workers were moved to hotels in response to these reports. The company assured us that it had conducted a "thorough review" of the working conditions of the subcontractor, demanding improvements. Simultaneously, BYD spokesperson Li Yunfei, quoted by the Associated Press, strongly opposed the statement about "conditions akin to modern slavery."
"Regarding the slandering of Chinese brands, slandering China, and attempts to undermine the friendship between China and Brazil, we have seen how significant foreign forces maliciously associate and deliberately slander," said the BYD spokesperson.
The subcontractor retained the passports of non-working employees, as well as 60% of their wages. These funds were intended to cover the cost of flights from China and the return to the country.
BYD is the largest electric car manufacturer in China, competing with American Tesla. Last year, the company announced that it would invest nearly £410 billion in Brazil to build a new electric car factory.
