Automaker will pay tickets and allowances for 7 of the 163 workers who were in conditions similar to slavery in Bahia
At least 7 of the 163 workers at the BYD factory in Camaçari (BA) are expected to return to China on January 1st. Air tickets will be paid for by the automaker, which must also pay a cost allowance of US$120 (around R$740, at current prices) to the workers.
Furthermore, those rescued will stay in hotels in Camaçari until negotiations for the termination of employment contracts are finalized. The measures were defined during a joint virtual hearing between BYD, Jinjiang Group – one of the contractors hired to carry out the work –, the MPT (Public Ministry of Labor), the Ministry of Labor and Employment, the DPU (Union Public Defender’s Office) , the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
In a note, the MPT states that the companies also committed to presenting documents relating to the rescued workers and detailed information on where they are housed. The contractor must also take the workers to the Federal Police to obtain the RNM (National Migration Registry) and, subsequently, to the Federal Revenue Service to issue CPFs. The Union Public Defender’s Office monitors the process.
According to the MPT, the withdrawal of documents is necessary to make payments in Brazil of the amounts related to the termination of contracts and employee compensation. A new hearing was scheduled for January 7th to present a proposal for a conduct adjustment agreement to evaluate the companies being investigated.
UNDERSTAND THE CASE
A task force from yes and other organizations em “conditions similar to those of slaves” and partially banned works to build a factory for the automaker in Camaçari, Bahia.
According to a statement released on Monday (Dec 23, 2024), workers were in precarious conditions, sleeping in beds without mattresses and with one bathroom for every 31 people. Here’s the from note (PDF – 2 MB).
“The conditions found in the accommodation revealed an alarming picture of precariousness and degradation. In the 1st accommodation on Rua Colorado, the workers slept in beds without mattresses, they did not have lockers for their personal belongings, which were mixed with food materials. The health situation was especially critical, with only one bathroom for every 31 workers, forcing them to wake up at 4am to form a queue and be able to get ready to leave for work at 5:30am”says the Public Ministry of Labor.
Watch (1min53s):
BYD said it received notification from the Ministry of Labor that the outsourced construction company Jinjiang “he had committed serious irregularities” and then terminated the contract with Jinjiang Group – one of the contractors hired to carry out the work. Here’s the and note by BYD (PDF – 60 kB).
“BYD reaffirms that it does not tolerate disrespect for Brazilian law and human dignity. In view of this, the company decided to immediately terminate the contract with the contractor to carry out part of the work at the Camaçari factory and is studying other appropriate measures”, wrote the automaker.
A Jinjiang and stated that there were translation misunderstandings and cultural differences in interpreting the situation. In a statement on the Chinese social network Weibo, the company said its employees felt insulted by the characterization of “enslaved”.
Li Yunfei, public relations manager at BYD, accused foreign forces and Chinese media outlets of trying to harm relations between Brazil and China.
Jinjiang released a video of workers reading a joint letter. They claim that they voluntarily surrendered their passports to obtain temporary identification in Brazil.
