Brazil says BYD Chinese workers found in ‘slavery-like conditions’ victims of human trafficking

The Chinese workers found at a construction site for a factory owned by China’s electric vehicle producer BYD in Brazil’s Bahia state are victims of human trafficking, Brazilian labour authorities said on Thursday.

BYD and contractor Jinjiang Group have agreed to assist and house the 163 workers in hotels until a deal to end their contracts is reached, Brazil’s Labor Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement issued after meeting representatives from both firms.

BYD did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Reuters was unable to reach Jinjiang for comment outside usual working hours.

However, the companies have questioned the authorities’ assessment, first announced on Monday that the workers were operating under “slavery-like conditions”.

The parties are scheduled to meet again on January 7, according to the statement. A proposed deal by labour prosecutors will be presented to the two firms.

A deal could clear BYD and Jinjiang from an investigation by labour prosecutors, but they could still face scrutiny from labour inspectors and federal prosecutors, who have requested the sharing of the evidence so that “measures can be adopted in the criminal sphere”, the statement said.

Jinjiang said on Thursday Brazilian authorities’ portrayal of their employees as “enslaved” was inconsistent with the facts and that there were translation misunderstandings.