– Advertisement –
Although many factory processes are now automated or semi-automated, one field that still depends heavily on manual labour is the construction of factories.
Brazilian authorities have stopped building a factory for Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company BYD after finding workers living in conditions like “slavery.”
Over 160 workers were rescued in Bahia, Brazil, according to the Public Labour Prosecutor’s Office (MPT). Reports allege they lived in “degrading” conditions, with their passports and salaries withheld by a contractor.
BYD responded by cutting ties with the contractor and stated it is committed to following Brazilian laws.
The workers were hired in China and brought to Brazil. There is no shortage of construction workers in Brazil but possibly this type of factory required specialist techniques.
The factory they were helping to build was set to be BYD’s first electric vehicle plant outside Asia, and was due to open and start operating by March 2025.
The investigation found that workers were forced to sleep on beds without any mattresses, and more than 600 workers had been sharing eight portable toilets which were in a deplorable state, lacking toilet paper and water.
A lack of kitchen space also meant food was being stored near bathrooms and in unsanitary conditions, and prepared meals were found left open on the floor, exposed to dirt and without being refrigerated. Most workers were forced to eat their meals in their beds.
The conditions found in the lodgings revealed an alarming picture of precariousness and degradation, the prosecutors said.
Bathrooms were shared by as many as 31 workers, forcing them to wake up very early. Prosecutors described these living conditions as “alarming” and a violation of human dignity.
Brazilian law defines “slavery-like conditions” as including forced labor, withheld wages, and debt bondage.
BYD said the affected workers were moved to hotels and that it had previously demanded better conditions from the construction company.
BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, is a leading EV manufacturer. It sold more EVs than Tesla in late 2023. Brazil is BYD’s largest overseas market, where it has operated since 2015, starting with a factory for electric bus chassis. Last year, BYD announced plans to invest $484.2 million in Brazil to build the EV factory.
While EV sales in China are supported by government subsidies, other countries like the US and EU have introduced tariffs on Chinese EVs, citing concerns about unfair advantages from these subsidies.
The contractor involved in the construction of BYD’s factory in Camaçari, Brazil, is Jinjiang Construction Brazil.
In response to these findings, BYD announced the immediate termination of their contract with Jinjiang Construction Brazil and arranged temporary hotel accommodations for the affected workers.
The company also stated that it is reviewing working conditions to ensure compliance with labor laws, which define modern slavery as forced labor, exhausting hours, and restricted freedom of movement.
Source: BBC, AP, The Guardian, news agencies.
– Advertisement –
