This factory had been announced by the Brazilian head of state, Lula da Silva, at the beginning of the month, with BYD’s executive vice-president, who stated that the vehicle production factory in Brazil would be the largest and most advanced outside of China.
Brazilian authorities rescued 163 Chinese workers who worked in conditions similar to slavery on the construction site of a car factory owned by the Chinese company BYD, the company that produces the most vehicles of this type in the world.
The workers work for the Jinjiang Group, one of the companies hired by the Chinese company to build the factory in Camaçari, a municipality in the metropolitan region of Salvador, in the state of Bahia.
This factory had been announced by the Brazilian head of state, Lula da Silva, at the beginning of the month, with BYD’s executive vice-president, Stella Li, who stated that the vehicle production factory in Brazil would be the largest and most advanced outside of Brazil. China, where it has its headquarters and most of its production.
Supposedly, by the end of 2025, the Brazilian production unit should produce 150 thousand vehicles, mainly to supply the South American markets, and in 2026 to 300 thousand.
According to a note from the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) of Bahia, the conditions of workers, both in accommodation and on the construction site, were precarious and degrading, with 60% of their salaries being withheld by the company, as well as their passports.
In the accommodation, they slept in beds without mattresses, had nowhere to store their belongings and “the sanitary situation was particularly critical, with only one bathroom for every 31 workers”, the authorities detailed.
In food areas, kitchens operated in “alarming conditions” without cabinets for adequate food storage, some of which were located near bathrooms and in unsanitary conditions.
At the construction site, there were only eight chemical toilets for around 600 workers, which were in a “deplorable” state, without toilet paper, without water and without adequate maintenance.
Authorities also found that workers were exposed to “intense solar radiation”, with “visible signs of skin damage”, and that there had been several work accidents.
They also mentioned that the workers’ situation was framed as “forced labor,” since, in addition to withholding part of their wages and passports, workers faced severe punishments if they terminated the contract.
Workers could lose 40% of their retained salary and would have to pay out of their own pocket for the return ticket to China, in addition to the cost of the ticket they used to get to Brazil.
According to the MPT, some of the rescued workers remain in accommodation, while others are in a hotel.
Accommodation and works will remain under embargo, and no activities can be carried out until they are fully regularized by the respective supervisory bodies.
A joint virtual hearing by the MPT and the Ministry of Labor is scheduled for Thursday, December 26, for BYD and Jinjiang to present the necessary measures to guarantee minimum conditions for workers.
At the beginning of the month, the Brazilian Government indicated that Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams), a leader in the sector, said it planned to start producing vehicles in Brazil from March 2025,
