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Chinese employees discovered in 'slavery-like conditions' at BYD construction site in Brazil

Brazilian authorities found 163 Chinese nationals working in slaverylike conditions at a construction website for a factory owned by Chinese electric lorry manufacturer BYD in Brazil's Bahia state, the local labor district attorney's office said throughout a news conference on Monday.

According to the authorities, the employees were worked with in China by another firm and brought to Brazil irregularly. They were laboring for long hours, in excess of what is allowed by Brazilian law, often for seven days a week straight, while being kept in what authorities referred to as degrading conditions in their accommodations, among other labor offenses.

BYD did not right away reply to an ask for comment. The labor authorities did not divulge the names of the companies associated with working with the workers.

In Brazil, slavery-like conditions consist of forced labor, but likewise covers financial obligation chains, degrading work conditions, long hours that position a danger to workers' health and any work that breaks human dignity.

The employees needed to request consent to leave their accommodations, and a minimum of 107 likewise had their passports kept by their employer, said labor inspector Liane Durao, including that conditions at the work site threatened.

We found that the work of ... these 163 workers, was performed in slavery-like conditions, she said.

Minimum security conditions were not being fulfilled in the work environment, stated Durao.

The operation is ongoing, said Durao, and fines have not yet been issued.

(source: Reuters)