Brazil’s Labor Prosecutor’s Office announced in a press conference on Monday that 163 Chinese workers were working in “slavery-like conditions” at a construction site for a factory owned by Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD in the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil.
According to local authorities, the workers were illegally brought to Brazil from China by another Chinese company. They worked long hours, often exceeding the limits set by Brazilian law, sometimes working seven days a week. The workers were also living in conditions described by officials as “slavery-like,” a serious violation of Brazilian labor laws.
In Brazil, slave-like conditions include not only forced labor but also bondage by debt, poor working conditions, long working hours that are detrimental to health, and any form of labor that violates human dignity.
Labor inspectors said the workers had to get permission from their employers every time they left their accommodation, and at least 107 had their passports confiscated by their employers. They added that the worksite did not meet even the minimum safety standards and was carried out in hazardous conditions.
Local authorities said no fines had been imposed yet despite ongoing work. BYD has not commented on the allegations. The incident has drawn renewed attention to Brazil’s labor conditions and human rights issues.
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