Summary
Brazilian authorities shut down construction of BYD’s first electric vehicle plant outside Asia after discovering 163 Chinese workers living in “slavery-like” conditions.
Hired by contractor Jinjiang Construction Brazil, workers faced excessive hours, withheld passports, and degrading living conditions, including unsanitary accommodations and lack of basic necessities.
The factory, set to open in March 2025, is now under review.
BYD terminated its contract with Jinjiang, relocated workers to hotels, and pledged to investigate all contractor practices.
Average Chinese company
Oh sure, the parent company totally didn’t know this was going on… Glad Brazil discovered this and shut it down. Hope that all of the culprits face severe criminal penalties.
Tap on the wrist, million dollar fine, get back to work plebs.
And come the next election, the neoliberal politicians will call this an “egregious overreach” that “pushed out a job creator” and use that to push for further deregulation
Ain’t capitalism fun? :B
Where are all the pro-Chinese EV people at?
“Americans are mad because they can’t compete with the Chinese!”
Yeah, when employees are unionized and get great conditions it turns out the product is more expensive than the one built by slave and subsidized by the government in order to do dumping so they eventually end up with a monopoly, who would have thought?
I’m sorry, what? Are there pro Chinese EV people? Like, they seems like fine cars and are cheap… But everyone knows what they are getting with them. It like buying a 10€ hand knitted fast fashion sweater; you got to know some poor slave kid made that shit and simply not care.
There’s a fucking ton of people complaining about the tariffs on Chinese EV
They don’t care about slaves, they care about paying more cash.
That explains why they can go under the prices of the competition. Can’t go much cheaper than slave labour.
This is the secret behind every $5 shirt, most shoes, a majority of the food supply, and other car brands. The problem isn’t China, the problem is capitalism.
Sounds like America will be back in the car race again soon. I mean they’re already “leasing” prisoners to fast food joints.
Brazilian law is key?!
"BYD said it “does not tolerate disrespect for Brazilian law and human dignity” and that it had immediately terminated the contract with Jinjiang for part of the work at the factory and was considering “other appropriate measures”.
Add: found this 2023 article, concerning Jinshan Construction in Serbia.
Probably same company using different Sino- Romanized name.
Of course. Disrespect for human rights is expected. They do it all the time at home, so why not abroad as well?
In other words, “BYD totally tolerates slavery and human rights violations, just not in Brazil where that sort of triviality is against the law.”
“… Just not where they get caught.”
FTFY.
Surprise surprise, the ends to the capitalist machinery is outright slavery.
Until massive corporations actually start facing real punishments this will happen over and over.
How very Nestle of them.
I guess Build Your Dreams is selective.
Build their directors dreams.
Is this part of China’s Belt and Road initiative?
