MPT Sues BYD and Seeks R$ 257 Million for Conditions Similar to Slavery at Camaçari Factory Construction

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 28/05/2025 at 06:55

Updated on 29/05/2025 at 08:25

Imagem: Reprodução/BYD

Be the first to react!

Civil Action Seeks R$ 257 Million from BYD for Slave Labor, Human Trafficking, and Violations at Factory Construction in Camaçari

The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Labor in Bahia (MPT-BA) filed a civil action against the Chinese automaker BYD due to the degrading conditions faced by workers during the construction of the company’s factory in Camaçari.

The lawsuit also includes two construction companies: China JinJiang Construction Brazil Ltda. and Tonghe Equipamentos Inteligentes do Brasil Co. (now Tecmonta Equipamentos Inteligentes Brasil Co. Ltda.).

The action was filed this Tuesday (27) in the 5th Labor Court of Camaçari, following unsuccessful attempts to reach an agreement between the MPT and the companies.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Slave Labor and Human Trafficking

According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Labor, the Chinese workers were subjected to conditions analogous to slavery. In total, 220 workers entered Brazil with irregular work visas, incompatible with the functions they performed at the factory construction sites.

They worked without breaks, in daily shifts of 12 hours, every day of the week, in a system known as “7×0 schedule.”

The workers lived in dirty accommodations, without minimum hygiene and comfort conditions, under armed surveillance and with their passports withheld.

The contracts contained illegal clauses, and there was no provision of protective equipment or access to drinking water. There were also reports of non-compliance with safety standards and risk of serious accidents.

Amount and Penalties Required

In addition to collective moral damages, the MPT requests compensation for individual moral damages amounting to 21 times the contractual salary for each worker, plus one salary for each day lived under the reported conditions.

The companies must also settle all severance payments and comply with Brazilian labor protection laws.

In case of non-compliance with the imposed measures, the MPT requests a fine of R$ 50,000 for each item violated, multiplied by the number of affected workers.

Rejection of Agreement Led to Action

Before filing the lawsuit, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Labor attempted to establish a Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC) with the companies involved. At the last hearing, held on March 10, 2025, a counterproposal was presented by the defendants, which was considered unacceptable by the office.

The MPT then sent a final proposal for an agreement on May 8, 2025, but there was no positive response. In light of the rejection, the Public Prosecutor’s Office proceeded with the legal action.

According to the text of the action, the MPT considered that there was no alternative but to resort to the courts. The companies’ inaction would jeopardize the human and constitutional rights of the workers involved in the case.

BYD’s Official Statement on the Lawsuit

BYD reaffirms its unnegotiable commitment to human and labor rights, guiding its activities by respect for Brazilian legislation and international labor protection standards.

The company has been cooperating with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Labor since the very beginning and will express its position on the lawsuit filed by the MPT.

Read Below in Full the Public Action of the MPT Against BYD

acp-byd Download

MPT Sues BYD and Seeks R$ 257 Million for Conditions Similar to Slavery at Camaçari Factory Construction

Civil Action Seeks R$ 257 Million from BYD for Slave Labor, Human Trafficking, and Violations at Factory Construction in Camaçari

Slave Labor and Human Trafficking

Amount and Penalties Required

Rejection of Agreement Led to Action

BYD’s Official Statement on the Lawsuit

Read Below in Full the Public Action of the MPT Against BYD

A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

In Niger, mud buildings have stood for ten generations while the world spends billions on concrete and steel, now African architects are proving at the Venice Biennale and in real projects that red earth can be the smartest and most sustainable building material of the 21st century.

Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.

Secret chamber sealed 4,500 years ago found in the Pyramid of Khufu, and Hawass announces its opening to the world in 2026

With a wingspan of 152 meters, 76 tires, and a capacity to carry 1,270 tons, the Boeing Pelican was the giant “flying ship” that promised to cross oceans close to the water on an invisible air cushion beneath its wings.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

China has begun the second phase of energy assistance to Cuba with a 120 MW solar generation plan, and the first result is a photovoltaic park with batteries that regulates voltage, controls frequency, and provides local autonomy to an island suffocated by chronic blackouts.

American company deploys humanoid robots to work live for 8 hours and surprises by showing machines handling packages at an almost human pace while accelerating production on a global industrial scale

While the construction industry still seeks quick and cheap projects, a metal house from 1931 was erected in just 10 days, had three floors, looked like it came from the future, challenged the standard of wood and brick, and ended up preserved as a museum piece.

Former waste picker who grew up in the landfill becomes a PhD in Linguistics from UFSC after learning from books found in the trash and working since childhood to help his family at home.

France transformed 100 shipping containers into 24-square-meter student apartments, creating a four-story building in Le Havre with kitchens, bathrooms, large windows, and affordable local student rent.

Benin will dump more than 3.5 million m³ of sand around a 5 km underwater breakwater to contain coastal erosion, protect homes, and transform the submerged structure into a defense platform in the Atlantic.

MPT Sues BYD and Seeks R$ 257 Million for Conditions Similar to Slavery at Camaçari Factory Construction

Civil Action Seeks R$ 257 Million from BYD for Slave Labor, Human Trafficking, and Violations at Factory Construction in Camaçari

Slave Labor and Human Trafficking

Amount and Penalties Required

Rejection of Agreement Led to Action

BYD’s Official Statement on the Lawsuit

Read Below in Full the Public Action of the MPT Against BYD

A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

In Niger, mud buildings have stood for ten generations while the world spends billions on concrete and steel, now African architects are proving at the Venice Biennale and in real projects that red earth can be the smartest and most sustainable building material of the 21st century.

Seven world powers including the US, China, and Russia are spending €22 billion on a reactor in the south of France that aims to confine plasma at 150 million degrees Celsius, ten times the temperature of the Sun’s core, using a magnetic field capable of lifting an entire aircraft carrier.

Secret chamber sealed 4,500 years ago found in the Pyramid of Khufu, and Hawass announces its opening to the world in 2026

With a wingspan of 152 meters, 76 tires, and a capacity to carry 1,270 tons, the Boeing Pelican was the giant “flying ship” that promised to cross oceans close to the water on an invisible air cushion beneath its wings.

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

China has begun the second phase of energy assistance to Cuba with a 120 MW solar generation plan, and the first result is a photovoltaic park with batteries that regulates voltage, controls frequency, and provides local autonomy to an island suffocated by chronic blackouts.

France transformed 100 shipping containers into 24-square-meter student apartments, creating a four-story building in Le Havre with kitchens, bathrooms, large windows, and affordable local student rent.

Benin will dump more than 3.5 million m³ of sand around a 5 km underwater breakwater to contain coastal erosion, protect homes, and transform the submerged structure into a defense platform in the Atlantic.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

How to find out the number of tiles without making mistakes in the construction: a simple calculation shows why a gable roof might need 1,350.

Few people know, but replacing “tijolo baiano” with lightweight blocks can change the heat inside the house, reduce the weight of the masonry, and cut waste because the material is easy to saw, adjust, and fit into the construction.

American company deploys humanoid robots to work live for 8 hours and surprises by showing machines handling packages at an almost human pace while accelerating production on a global industrial scale

While the construction industry still seeks quick and cheap projects, a metal house from 1931 was erected in just 10 days, had three floors, looked like it came from the future, challenged the standard of wood and brick, and ended up preserved as a museum piece.

Former waste picker who grew up in the landfill becomes a PhD in Linguistics from UFSC after learning from books found in the trash and working since childhood to help his family at home.

France transformed 100 shipping containers into 24-square-meter student apartments, creating a four-story building in Le Havre with kitchens, bathrooms, large windows, and affordable local student rent.

Benin will dump more than 3.5 million m³ of sand around a 5 km underwater breakwater to contain coastal erosion, protect homes, and transform the submerged structure into a defense platform in the Atlantic.