The prosecutors, who are accused of enforcing labor laws, announced in a statement on Tuesday that they would seek damages in the amount of 257 million reais ($45 million) from BYD, China JinJiang Construction Brazil, and Tecmonta Equipamentos Inteligentes.
In order to construct a BYD plant in Camacari, in the northeastern state of Bahia, the three companies were accused of trafficking Chinese workers. According to the prosecutors, the companies “extremely degrading” the workers there.
220 Chinese workers were discovered to be living in conditions similar to slavery and those who were victims of international human trafficking in December of last year, according to the statement.
In addition to compensating moral damages, the prosecutors are seeking damages worth 50, 000 reais ($8, 867) per violation multiplied by the number of employees impacted.
Authorities claim they “rescued” 163 Chinese workers from Jinjiang and 57 from Tecmonta during a police raid in December 2024.
The workers were allegedly brought to Brazil with visas that didn’t fit their jobs, according to the prosecution, and they were victims of international human trafficking.
They also allege that the workers’ conditions at the construction site made them rely on their employers almost entirely, withholding up to 70% of their wages and demanding high contract termination costs. According to the prosecutors, some of the workers’ passports were taken away, limiting their ability to leave.
Additionally, the lawsuit details dreadful living conditions, including some stale beds.
According to the prosecutors’ statement, “in one dormitory, only one toilet was identified for use by 31 people,” forcing employees to get up at 4am to wash themselves before their workdays.
Outside of China, Brazil has the largest market for BYD. The Chinese automaker has stated that it is working with the authorities, will respond to the lawsuit in court, and is committed to protecting human rights.
In an effort to “smear” China and Chinese businesses, a company spokesman said in December that allegations of unfavorable working conditions were a part of a campaign.
The Brazilian labor attorneys, however, refuted the claim that their lawsuit was motivated by anti-Chinese sentiment.
In an interview, deputy labor prosecutor Fabio Leal stated that “our lawsuit is very well-founded and contains a significant amount of evidence from the investigation process.”
Source: Aljazeera
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