Brazilian authorities recently halted the construction of a factory by Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD, stating that the workers’ living conditions were akin to “slavery.” On December 26, the Brazilian labor authorities declared that these Chinese workers were victims of human trafficking. Some netizens from the mainland made jokes, suggesting that Brazil was nitpicking because such working and living conditions are widespread within China.
According to a statement from the Brazilian Public Labor Prosecutor’s Office (MPT) on December 23, over 160 construction workers subjected to forced labor were rescued at the BYD factory located in the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. They searched a total of 5 workers’ dormitories, with 4 of them found to have issues. The construction site belongs to the Chinese automaker BYD, with the construction being carried out by the Jinko Group.
Photos released by Brazil show deplorable dormitory conditions, with an average of 30 people sharing one toilet without gender differentiation, forcing them to wake up at 4 am to queue up and leave for work promptly at 5:30 am. Both eating and living are done in the dormitories, with no laundry facilities available.
An article published on the mainland WeChat public account “Huozhi Xin Chuan” on December 26 juxtaposed the working conditions of Chinese people domestically, mockingly referring to the rescue of 160 Chinese “slave workers” in Brazil as nitpicking.
The article noted that the Brazilian authorities revealed that the workers had their passports and a large portion of their wages withheld by the construction company, preventing them from leaving. Sometimes, they were required to work 7 days a week. The food prepared for the next day was already precooked and left on the ground with no refrigeration. The drinking water was not filtered, and the factory lacked proper medical resources, leaving many workers untreated when they fell ill.
The article from “Huozhi Xin Chuan” sarcastically commented that when the Brazilian labor authorities witnessed the scene, they were moved to tears and angrily remarked, “They are worse than slaves,” ordering the construction company to leave Brazil immediately. The article further pointed out that delayed wages and passport retention are common practices in mainland China, so the Brazilian reaction may seem exaggerated. Even construction workers on site sarcastically claimed that Brazilians were conspiring to take their jobs by intentionally causing trouble.
The article humorously concluded, highlighting the disparity in perceptions of working conditions, emphasizing the need for improved labor rights and standards. It criticized the heavy tax burden in China as indicated by the Forbes 2023 Global Tax Misery Index, where China ranks third globally for tax burden among Asian economies but only 76th in welfare levels among 149 countries and regions.
Regarding the proportion of employee wages and social security contributions reaching 40%, the article questioned the excessive deductions, supporting a reduction in taxes to allow for shorter working hours, increased wages, and employee benefits. However, many regions struggle to pay wages, leading to tragic incidents like the death of a game company general manager (referring to a specific incident in Beijing in November 2023), making tax reduction seemingly unachievable.
The author suggested the need to enhance treatment during China’s process of joining the CPTPP to improve conditions for workers and avoid being viewed as “slave workers” by foreigners.
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