Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has denied allegations by Brazilian authorities that its employees were treated as “enslaved” at a construction site in Bahia state. Jinjiang Group, the contractor hired to build a factory owned by BYD, said there were translation misunderstandings and cultural differences that led to the situation.
The Brazilian labor authorities had reported finding 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like conditions.” However, Jinjiang disputed this claim, saying questions from inspectors had been “suggestive” and workers had voluntarily handed over their passports for temporary ID certificates.
BYD has cut ties with the firm that hired the workers and is working with authorities to resolve the issue. The company’s general manager, Li Yunfei, accused foreign forces and some Chinese media of deliberately smearing Chinese brands and undermining relations between China and Brazil.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/26/business/byd-brazil-chinese-workers-conditions-intl/index.html