Automaker and two contractors face charges of forced labor, human trafficking and degrading conditions at factory site in Bahia state.
Brazilian prosecutors have filed a sweeping lawsuit against Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD and two of its contractors, accusing them of exploiting workers under slave-like conditions and engaging in international human trafficking.
The lawsuit, announced Tuesday by the Bahia state labor prosecutor’s office, seeks 257 million Brazilian reais (around $50 million) in damages from BYD, China JinJiang Construction Brasil, and Tecmonta Equipamentos Inteligentes.
The case stems from a major investigation last year, when authorities rescued 220 Chinese workers from the construction site of BYD’s new factory in Camaçari, near Salvador. Prosecutors allege the workers were lured to Brazil under false pretenses, holding visas that did not match their actual jobs.
The workers, prosecutors said, endured grim living conditions, often sleeping on beds without mattresses and storing their belongings alongside food. At one site, just a single bathroom served 31 people, forcing workers to rise as early as 4 a.m. for basic hygiene.
The investigation further alleges that workers’ passports were confiscated and they were kept under armed surveillance while working exhausting shifts without weekly rest. Many were forced to pay security deposits and had up to 70 percent of their wages withheld if they left contracts early.
In a December statement, BYD spokesperson Li Yunfei rejected reports of poor conditions, denouncing them as part of a smear campaign against China and its brands. On Tuesday, the company declined to comment on the new lawsuit but said it has been cooperating with prosecutors and is committed to upholding human rights and labor protections.
Prosecutors are also demanding that the companies meet a list of labor standards and face fines of 50,000 reais for each violation, multiplied by the number of affected workers.
Under Brazilian law, slave-like conditions are defined broadly and include forced labor, degrading conditions, exhausting workdays, and restrictions on workers’ freedom of movement.
Globally, construction workers, especially migrants, often endure harsh conditions and are burdened with debts from recruitment fees — despite legal prohibitions. This case puts a spotlight on such abuses and raises questions about the responsibilities of major international firms operating abroad.
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