Brazilian authorities have opened an investigation into conditions for workers constructing BYD’s new factory in response to a complaint of mistreatment, reports non-profit investigative news outlet Agência Pùblica.
An anonymous complaint, made on 30 September, led the Brazilian Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) to conduct an inspection of the Camaçari construction site on 11 November. The agency is investigating BYD and three contractors, who jointly employ 470 Chinese construction workers. Jinjiang Group, which provides earthmoving services, has around 280 workers on the job. Open Steel, tasked with producing the plant’s metal structure, has 100 employees on site, while AE Corp, in charge of assembling the internal metal structure, has around 90.
Agência Pùblica says it has gathered accounts and photographic evidence of allegedly poor conditions faced by hundreds of the workers at the BYD site, and says some have been denied equal pay and even access to safe drinking water.
[See more: BYD makes further inroads in Brazil with the launch of its four-door pickup Shark]
Most of the allegations appear to involve Jinjiang Group and are said to involve mistreatment as well as violations of international labour and safety conventions. The news outlet says workers are forced to work 12-hour days, seven days a week, with some lacking basic safety equipment.
The first phase of construction was scheduled for completion by the end of this year but has since been pushed back to some time in January. Employees interviewed by Agência Pùblica on condition of anonymity claim to have been regularly subjected to violence by their foremen, who would allegedly kick or punch workers whenever there was a delay in their work. Around 590 Brazilian workers employed by BYD and its contractors, meanwhile, work shorter days and enjoy proper breaks, Agência Pùblica says.
BYD has publicly blamed Jinjiang Group for the abuse and mistreatment of workers, calling on the contractor to address the issue with urgency but lacking any specifics. BYD CEO Stella Li is expected to visit Bahia today alongside Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues and announce a new contribution of 3 billion reais (US$502 million) to expand the factory further. Agência Pùblica found that changes to worker accommodations were made ahead of the visit, which will include journalists touring the site.
