Summary
Jinjiang Group, a BYD contractor, denied Brazilian authorities’ claims that 163 Chinese workers were in “slavery-like conditions” at a Brazilian factory.
Jinjiang claimed translation misunderstandings and cultural differences, stating workers voluntarily handed over passports.
BYD, distancing itself from the issue, cut ties with the contractor and is cooperating with authorities. China’s foreign ministry is also investigating.
The factory is central to BYD’s expansion in Brazil, its largest overseas market, with production set to begin in 2024 or 2025.
“culturual differences” what the actual fuck.
This seems to be a popular trend for justifying shitty working conditions.
We’re ok with entrapping people into forced labour.
You’re not.
It’s a cultural difference.
See: The whole of Temu business model.
stating workers voluntarily handed over passports
And they voluntarily handed over their salaries too?
Also, that one law they are responding to (“slavery-like conditions”) would be broken without they arresting people in place and refusing to pay them. That “like” is there for a reason. It’s not clear if they’ll get charged for actual slavery (and thus go to jail), China may take over that one claim.
The letter said, for instance, that 107 workers had handed their passports to the company for help with applying for a temporary ID certificate in Brazil. The Brazilian labor inspectors had said that the workers had had their passports withheld by the company.
As someone who works in different countries, I sometimes have to send in my passport for stamps, verification, visa applications etc. What i always have on me is my secondary passport, for obvious reasons. I don’t buy for a second that a company this size wouldn’t make sure that their workers had a secondary passport, unless they had ulterior motives. It also makes everything else they say suspect.
Making the oppressed say they aren’t is unfortunately standard practice for China, so I agree, take anything the workers say with a grain of salt.
I sometimes have to send in my passport for stamps, verification, visa applications etc
I imagine you do that while you are on your home country.
Collecting passports from people away from their country is a huge “no, you don’t” thing. But from people in their own country is no big deal.
Collecting passports from people away from their country is a huge “no, you don’t” thing.
Not really, in many cases it’s a necessity.
That’s not to say that giving your passport to your employer for safe keeping is a good idea.
Not so. We have agencies who bring our passports to the offices that require them.
I mean, what were they going to do, say “yes we keep slaves, next question please”?
When I used to work in china the folks I worked with worked 6 days a week. Their view of what slavery is is much worse than ours because they themselves are prisoners (more so than us in the US at least, and dramatically more than those in Europe)
Regardless of the company’s biases about what slavery means, once they decide to operate in another country, those biases do not apply. That’s called legal compliance. They can say whatever they want, but in the end it comes down to a simple question: is that legal in Brazil?
Totally agree. I’m not defending the company/china in any way, was just commenting from my experience working over there
I know. Just wanted to make a point that regardless of a company’s geopolitical background, they must abide to local legislation. Also, I’m aware of the working conditions in Chinese companies. Your perspective, based on your work experience, adds an insightful view of of labor relations in China. Thanks for your comment.
It’s not slavery unless you’re beaten within an inch of your life?
