construction of BYD factory in Brazil suspended for dark reasons

Construction of BYD's new factory in Brazil was suddenly halted on Monday, December 23. The Shenzhen firm is accused of making its workers work in conditions “ close to slavery “. These are Chinese workers recruited by a third party company.

Now that it dominates China, BYD is taking on the rest of the world. In addition to wanting to establish a presence in Europe with a future production site planned for 2027 in Hungary, the company is also eyeing South America. But while construction of a new factory began in Brazil, everything did not go as planned.

Working conditions close to slavery

Indeed, the Brazilian Ministry of Labor declared that the 163 workers working on the BYD site in Salvador were “ detained in conditions close to slavery “. Consequently, construction of the site was halted on Monday, December 23. According to the authorities, these are Chinese workers hired by the Jinjiang group.

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BYD spoke out following this discovery. The Chinese manufacturer claims to have severed its ties with this third-party company. The brand specifies that it intends “ help the victims » as part of its collaboration with the Brazilian authorities. All workers will be transferred to hotels. They will no longer be able to work until further notice.

Only one bathroom for 31 people

Alexandre Baldy, head of BYD in Brazil, said the company remains “ committed to respecting Brazilian legislation, particularly regarding the protection of workers' rights and human dignity “. Workers were forced to wake up at 4 a.m. to queue to take a shower.

They only had one bathroom for 31 people. They slept without mattresses. If a worker resigned after six months, he or she had to leave the country without any pay, after covering the cost of the return plane ticket. BYD claims to have asked Jinjiang to improve workers' conditions.

The new BYD factory should normally start operating next year. This forced interruption could well delay the Chinese manufacturer's schedule.