BYD’s Labor Scandal in Brazil Widens

Photo by Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP.

A partner company to the Chinese auto giant BYD reportedly used irregular visas to bring hundreds of Chinese workers to build a factory in Brazil. It is the latest revelation from an ongoing labor scandal following authorities’ discovery of 163 workers for the contractor Jinjiang working in “slavery-like conditions” at a project site in the Brazilian state of Bahia.

It is alleged that Jinjiang used irregular recruitment methods and that the workers were overworked, harshly treated and that their passports were withheld. Both Jinjiang and BYD have denied the claims, calling them part of a smear campaign against Chinese companies. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called on Chinese companies to respect local laws.

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by CGSP Staff

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