AUTONEWS
The Labor Prosecutor's Office (MPT) rescued 163 workers for being in degrading work conditions in the municipality of Camaçari, in the metropolitan region of Salvador, at the Jinjiang company, one of the contractors hired by the Chinese automaker BYD to build its first factory in Brazil.
The lodgings and parts of the construction site of the automobile factory that is under construction in Camaçari, in the same place where a Ford unit operated, were closed off. BYD reported that it decided to terminate the contract with the subcontractor and that it is cooperating with the inspection agencies.
According to a statement from the MPT, the rescued workers will remain in the lodgings, but will not be able to work and will have their employment contracts terminated. The action is the result of a task force formed by the MPT, the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), the Federal Public Defender's Office (DPU), the Federal Highway Police (PRF), as well as the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (MPF) and the Federal Police (PF).
Four embargoed lodgings and construction sites will also remain closed until they are fully regularized by the agencies that make up the task force, the MPT reported. The inspection began in mid-November based on complaints.
A joint virtual hearing between the MPT and the MTE has been scheduled for the 26th so that BYD and Jinjiang can present the necessary measures to guarantee minimum lodging conditions and also to negotiate the conditions for the general regularization of what has already been detected.
"The conditions found in the lodgings revealed an alarming picture of precariousness and degradation," said the MPT. According to the inspection, in one of the lodgings, the workers slept on beds without mattresses and had no lockers for their personal belongings, which were mixed in with food supplies. In another lodging, the beds had 3 cm thick coverings, "insufficient to provide minimum conditions for use, and some beds did not even have such coverings", says the MPT statement.
Passports withheld...According to the MPT, the workers had 60% of their salaries withheld, faced excessive burdens if they decided to leave their jobs and had their passports withheld by the company.
"Early termination of the contract implied the loss of the deposit and the amounts withheld, in addition to the obligation to pay for the return ticket and refund the value of the outward ticket", reported the MPT. There were also cases in which a worker had 25 days off and ended up having an accident.
Mixed-gender bathrooms and no toilet seats...According to the inspection, the bathrooms were not separated by gender, did not have adequate toilet seats and were in poor hygiene conditions. The lack of a suitable place to wash clothes led workers to use their own bathrooms for this purpose.
In addition to the dormitories, the conditions at the construction site were considered irregular, with eight chemical toilets for 600 workers, without toilet paper, water or adequate maintenance. In addition, the workers were exposed to intense solar radiation, showing visible signs of skin damage. There is also evidence of a lack of medical care.
BYD breaks contract and says it is committed to Brazilian law...In a statement, BYD Auto do Brasil said it does not tolerate disrespect for Brazilian law and human dignity. “In light of this, the company has decided to immediately terminate the contract with the contractor to carry out part of the work at the Camaçari (BA) factory and is studying other appropriate measures”, it highlighted.
BYD Auto do Brasil stressed that the outsourced company's employees will not be harmed by this decision, as it will ensure that all of their rights are guaranteed. In addition, the company said that the construction company's 163 workers will be transferred to hotels in the region.
BYD Auto do Brasil also stated that, over the past few weeks, it has been conducting a detailed review of the working and living conditions of all employees of the outsourced construction companies responsible for the project. It stated that it has notified these companies on several occasions and has even made adjustments that have proven necessary.
The Chinese automaker stated that it has been collaborating with the competent authorities from the very beginning.
Could BYD’s modern slavery scandal affect relations between Brazil and China?…The Chinese company BYD is building an electric car factory in Brazil. To do so, it hired subcontractors, and one of its service providers, Jinjiang Construction, imported more than 160 workers from China to carry out the construction work.
However, the labor inspection found a series of irregularities: ten-hour workdays, unhealthy housing, workers’ passports confiscated and part of their wages also being withheld by the employer.
According to the vocabulary used in the Brazilian Penal Code, this could amount to modern slavery. This complaint was made shortly before Christmas. The company in question, Jinjiang Construction, denied engaging in this type of practice.
BYD, in turn, immediately terminated the contract with the service provider. The factory project is currently on hold.
Mundoquatrorodas
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário