A task force from the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) rescued 163 Chinese workers this Tuesday (23). They worked on construction sites at the electric car manufacturer BYD’s factory, in the municipality of Camaçari, located in the metropolitan region of Salvador.
According to the MPT, the workers were outsourced by a Chinese company and were in conditions similar to slavery in the construction accommodation.
The inspection found that the workers slept in beds without mattresses and had one bathroom for every 30 people. In the food section, pans were found on the floor, unrefrigerated food to be served the next day, in addition to water being supplied directly from the tap, without treatment.
Prosecutors also discovered that the workers’ passports and part of their salaries were withheld by the outsourced company. Around 60% of the amounts were confiscated and the rest was paid in Chinese currency to avoid leaving the job.
“If a worker tried to terminate the employment contract after six months, he would leave the country without actually receiving anything for his work, since the discount on the deposit, the return ticket to Brazil and the payment of the return ticket, in practice, would constitute total confiscation of the amounts received by workers throughout the employment relationship”, informed the MPT.
Other side
After the operation began, BYD reported that it terminated the contract with the outsourced company responsible for hiring the workers. “BYD Auto do Brasil reaffirms that it does not tolerate disrespect for Brazilian law and human dignity. In view of this, the company decided to immediately terminate the contract with the contractor”, declared the company.
