Brazilian prosecutors are suing Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD and two of its contractors, saying they were responsible for human trafficking and conditions “analogous to slavery” at a factory construction site in the country.
BYD did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC but has previously said it has “zero tolerance for violations of human rights and labour laws.”
Authorities halted construction of the plant late last year after workers were found living in cramped accommodation with “minimum comfort and hygiene conditions”, the MPT said.
Some workers slept on beds without mattresses and one toilet was shared by 31 people, it said in a statement.
The MPT also alleged that construction site staff had their passports confiscated and were working under “employment contracts with illegal clauses, exhausting work hours and no weekly rest.”
Prosecutors said the workers had up to 70% of their salaries withheld and faced high costs to terminate their contracts.
“Slavery-like conditions”, as defined by Brazilian law, include debt bondage and work that violates human dignity.
It’s calculated. In capitalist China this is baked into the business model. The used the slaves to drive down the cost of the manufacturing to basically materials only. They use this to gain significant market share. They get caught and say they won’t do it anymore so the west will keep buying. By that time they can afford to scale back slavery a bit, raise the prices while enjoying their market dominance in that sector.
If we aren’t going to stop this from the beginning like the very beginning they won’t stop doing it either.
Are you in the states? Watch the documentary “Walmart: The High Cost Of Low Prices.” Soon, that will be all of us.
Seizing a worker’s passport should be an automatic life sentence. And it’s not just a problem with these big companies. Tons of wealthy individuals in the US do this with their immigrant workers.
Brazil doesn’t have life sentences, but seizing workers passports is a sure way to get a condemnation for “slavery-like” work conditions and a matching prison sentence.
At first I was a bit skeptical but if these allegations are true… Makes me wonder how US farm workers are living and working. Or people working in slaughterhouses but I guess US regime whores don’t care when domestic captial does these things
Whataboutism a lot? We’re taking about Chinese companies and governments abusing human rights. Tomorrow we can talk about the US again but right now we’re talking about your favorite leaders.
Chineman is not my ally and his commercial interests in Brazil are not my concern but sure it is beautiful to see them being checked for a fake news hesdline.
I am sure they will lay a fee and this will be resolved, the workers obviously will not be made whole
"90% of countries in the world stop buying Teslas: “We don’t like Nazis.”
Oh yeah Elon is well known for his belief in workers rights 😆
