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News.com.au
6 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Brazil sues China's BYD over 'slavery' conditions on build site
Brazilian prosecutors are suing Chinese electric car giant BYD and two contracting companies for human trafficking and alleged slave labor conditions at a build site, according to legal documents seen by AFP Thursday. The case concerns 220 Chinese workers found last December in conditions "analogous to slavery" at a BYD plant under construction in Camacari, in the northeastern state of Bahia. Bahia's regional ministry for works (MPT) said in December it had found "degrading working conditions" at the site being built, expected to be BYD's largest electric car plant outside Asia. Workers slept without mattresses and, in one case, 31 people had to share a bathroom, it said. Laborers had "visible signs of skin damage" from working long hours under the sun. The MPT said it also suspected "forced labor," with illegal clauses in workers' contracts, passports confiscated and the employer withholding as much as 70 percent of their salary. Workers were monitored by armed guards. After the allegations were made public, BYD's Brazilian subsidiary said it had broken its contract with the Jinjiang contractor responsible for work on the site. Jinjiang denied the slavery allegation. The MPT is now seeking 257 million reais ($45.3 million) for "collective moral damages," as well as individual payments for each worker. The civil suit against BYD, Jinjiang and Tonghe Intelligent Equipment (now Tecmonta) was filed after the companies refused to sign a "conduct adjustment agreement" proposed by Brazilian authorities, the MPT said. On Thursday, BYD said in a statement it had collaborated with the MPT from the beginning, and "reaffirms its non-negotiable commitment to human and labor rights, guiding its activities by respecting Brazilian legislation and international labor protection standards." Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters Beijing "places great importance on protecting and safeguarding workers' legitimate rights and interests," and requires Chinese companies to "operate in compliance with laws and regulations."
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Brazil sues China carmaker BYD over 'slave-like' conditions
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 Public Labour Prosecutor's Office (MPT) in the state of Bahia says 220 Chinese workers were rescued after it began an investigation in response to an anonymous complaint. The MPT is seeking 257 million Brazilian reais ($45.5m; £33.7m) in damages from the three 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 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 factory was being built in the city of Camacari in the north east of was scheduled to be operational by March 2025 and was set to be BYD's first EV plant outside of short for Build Your Dreams, is one of the world's largest EV makers. In April, it outsold Elon Musk's Tesla in Europe for the first time, according to car industry research firm Jato firm has been looking to increase is presence in Brazil, which is its largest overseas market. It first opened a factory in São Paulo in 2015, producing chassis for electric buses.
CNN
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Brazil prosecutors sue Chinese carmaker BYD for violating labor rights
Brazilian labor prosecutors filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Chinese carmaker BYD, holding it responsible for human trafficking and 'slavery-like conditions' for workers building a factory in its biggest market outside China. The lawsuit seeks 257 million reais ($45 million) in moral damages from BYD and two contractors, JinJiang and Tecmonta, according to the statement from the labor prosecutors' office, along with individual compensation for workers. Prosecutors are also looking to force the companies to comply with various labor rules and seek a fine of 50,000 reais for each breach, multiplied by the number of affected workers. In response, BYD said it is committed to upholding human rights and respects Brazilian and international labor protections. The company also said in a statement that it has been cooperating with labor prosecutors and will respond to the lawsuit in court documents. In December, prosecutors said 220 Chinese workers hired by BYD contractors in the Brazilian state of Bahia were found working in 'slavery-like conditions.' Prosecutors said they were also victims of international human trafficking. Fabio Leal, a deputy labor prosecutor, said in an interview that talks with the three companies began in late December, but failed to reach an agreement. He declined to provide further details on why the talks were unsuccessful. Leal said the workers were brought to Brazil illegally and promised working conditions that were not fulfilled. He said the Chinese workers, who have all returned to China, would receive any payouts from a lawsuit there, with the companies in Brazil responsible for providing proof of payment. Leal added that a settlement is still possible, although now it will need to be facilitated through the court. 'Our lawsuit is very well-founded, with a substantial amount of evidence provided during the investigation process,' he said.
CNN
28-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Brazil prosecutors sue Chinese carmaker BYD for violating labor rights
Brazilian labor prosecutors filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Chinese carmaker BYD, holding it responsible for human trafficking and 'slavery-like conditions' for workers building a factory in its biggest market outside China. The lawsuit seeks 257 million reais ($45 million) in moral damages from BYD and two contractors, JinJiang and Tecmonta, according to the statement from the labor prosecutors' office, along with individual compensation for workers. Prosecutors are also looking to force the companies to comply with various labor rules and seek a fine of 50,000 reais for each breach, multiplied by the number of affected workers. In response, BYD said it is committed to upholding human rights and respects Brazilian and international labor protections. The company also said in a statement that it has been cooperating with labor prosecutors and will respond to the lawsuit in court documents. In December, prosecutors said 220 Chinese workers hired by BYD contractors in the Brazilian state of Bahia were found working in 'slavery-like conditions.' Prosecutors said they were also victims of international human trafficking. Fabio Leal, a deputy labor prosecutor, said in an interview that talks with the three companies began in late December, but failed to reach an agreement. He declined to provide further details on why the talks were unsuccessful. Leal said the workers were brought to Brazil illegally and promised working conditions that were not fulfilled. He said the Chinese workers, who have all returned to China, would receive any payouts from a lawsuit there, with the companies in Brazil responsible for providing proof of payment. Leal added that a settlement is still possible, although now it will need to be facilitated through the court. 'Our lawsuit is very well-founded, with a substantial amount of evidence provided during the investigation process,' he said.
Reuters
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Brazil prosecutors sue BYD for violating labor rights
SAO PAULO, May 27 (Reuters) - Brazilian labor prosecutors filed a public civil action against Chinese carmaker BYD ( opens new tab for alleged human trafficking and "slavery-like conditions" for workers, according to a statement from the prosecutors office issued on Tuesday. Prosecutors are seeking 257 million reais ($45 million) in moral damages from BYD and two other companies, according to the statement. ($1 = 5.6573 reais)
