Bed Without Mattress, Serious Hygiene Issues
Evidence of Forced Labor While Paying Deposit
Brazilian investigative authorities have halted the construction of the local factory of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD over concerns of 'slave labor.' Recently, reports emerged that workers at the construction site were exploited like 'slaves.'
According to reports from foreign media including the UK’s BBC on the 24th (local time), 160 workers were rescued from the BYD factory site located in Bahia, northeastern Brazil. Investigators from the Brazilian Public Labor Prosecutor's Office issued a statement the previous day, saying, "Workers at the site were subjected to conditions akin to slavery."
Accommodation conditions of BYD subcontracted workers disclosed by Brazilian investigative authorities. Screenshot from the Brazilian Public Labor Prosecutor's Office website.
The investigators’ statement detailed the conditions faced by workers employed by BYD. There was only one restroom for every 31 people, and the dormitory beds lacked even mattresses. Workers were not provided with lockers to store their personal belongings.
Sanitary conditions were even more severe. The cafeteria providing meals to workers lacked proper storage facilities, and some food ingredients were reportedly left near the restrooms. Furthermore, most workers ate their meals sitting on their beds without a designated dining area.
The construction workers were employed by Jinjiang Group, a Chinese outsourcing company providing services to BYD. Brazilian labor authorities claimed to have found evidence of 'forced labor.' All workers were required to pay a 'deposit' to Jinjiang Group, which amounted to as much as 60% of their contracted wages.
BYD exhibition booth at the Automechanika fair held last September in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo by Yonhap News
Meanwhile, working hours were fixed at 10 hours per day, and employment contracts did not guarantee regular holidays. Ultimately, one worker suffered an accident on the job, and investigations revealed that this worker had worked 25 consecutive days without a single day off.
In response to the Brazilian authorities’ investigation, BYD immediately issued a statement emphasizing, "We have severed ties with the outsourcing company Jinjiang Group, and we will do our best to fully comply with Brazilian laws."
BYD is a leading Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer and a global giant boasting the world’s number one electric vehicle shipment volume, surpassing the US company Tesla. It is aggressively capturing the global market with affordable prices. It is expected to begin sales in the Korean market next year.
The factory under construction in Brazil is expected to become BYD’s South American hub. The plant was scheduled to start operations in March next year, with an investment cost of $482.4 million (approximately 704 billion KRW).
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