As Canada lowers its tariffs and imports more electric vehicles from China, an upcoming report from New York-based labour rights researchers is making new allegations of forced labour practices at the world’s bestselling EV manufacturer, BYD.

China Labor Watch (CLW) received a complaint last fall from one of the thousands of migrant workers brought to Hungary from China to help build BYD’s first European plant in the city of Szeged — a $6-billion investment intended to supply the European market with around 300,000 vehicles per year.

The non-profit organization launched an investigation and provided CBC News with an advance copy of its findings, set for publication later this month.

“It’s important that consumers know what’s really behind some of these electric vehicles, and the labour conditions that are behind the production of these cars,” said project officer Elaine Lu.

“Chinese workers who are being brought in to work on these sites are being employed in quite horrible conditions.”

…

The report describes potential violations of Hungarian labour and migration laws, including:

  • Seven-day workweeks with no days off to rest, with workers telling CLW they were instructed to lie to inspectors about their working hours if asked.
  • Shifts of up to 12 or 14 hours, with only a short meal break and no paid overtime.
  • Delayed wage payments of up to three months, with final payments withheld until workers returned to China.
  • Steep recruitment fees used as a form of debt bondage, with low-income workers saying they were forced to stay despite poor conditions because they can’t afford to default on their contract.
  • Workers entering on business visas instead of authorized work permits, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and unable to access services like health care for workplace injuries.

…

  • sicilian
    37·
    13 hours ago

    You might want to do a bit more research, you’ve been wrong multiple times here.

    First off, the largest producers and exporters of cocoa are the Ivory Coast and Ghana. ~1.5 million children are involved in cocoa farming in West Africa.

    Second, the importation of Chinese EVs is heavily restricted or outright banned in many Western nations. The news article isn’t going to mention the real motives behind the concern over working conditions because that’s how propaganda works.

    The problem is that you are woefully misinformed.

    • Nils@lemmy.ca
      76·
      13 hours ago

      No, you mentioned “westerns”. Don’t move the goal post. Do you consider Ivory Coast and Ghana “westerns” ? If so, you should have put that in your definition before editing your posts.

      Europe does not grow cocoa, on the top exporter list Ecuador and Brazil are the “western” nations you complain about.

      Second, please list the nations where Chinese EV are banned that are not USA ?

      Third, you seem to be ok with slavery as long as they are Chinese nationals and help the bottom line of some big corp.

      You are malicious and xenophobic.

      • sicilian
        36·
        13 hours ago

        Wow, you really need to work on your reading comprehension.

        I don’t have the time nor the patience to continue explaining myself to someone like you. You need more education to understand what’s going on.

        • Nils@lemmy.ca
          55·
          13 hours ago

          If you are not engaging in honest discourse, I am good. You are just a trump-stan LARPing around anyways.

          Please keep your xenophobia and malicious behaviour to your instance.

          • sicilian
            35·
            12 hours ago

            More angry nonsense.

            I’ve engaged in good-faith discussion, but you have proven yourself incapable of comprehending what you read.

            • Nils@lemmy.ca
              53·
              12 hours ago

              You don’t, you are just trolling around. You are just hating on Chinese people while propping big corp like the Donald Bowman-stan you are.

              But this is not the community for it.

              • sicilian
                44·
                12 hours ago

                No, you are incorrect, misinformed, and lack the reading comprehension necessary to have a productive conversation.

                For example, you think Ecuador and Brazil are Western countries and continue to argue that case. You put your ignorance on full display, and then cry foul when someone calls you out on it.

                You are just hating on Chinese people while propping big corp like the Donald Bowman-stan you are.

                It’s the exact opposite. This is how I know that you cannot comprehend what you read.

                You need to help yourself before others can help you.

                • T (they/she)@beehaw.org
                  21·
                  10 hours ago

                  For example, you think Ecuador and Brazil are Western countries and continue to argue that case.

                  “Western country” term is very arbitrary and most of Brazilians would agree if asked if they considered themselves part of the west. Unless you are talking about Global north/south.

                • Nils@lemmy.ca
                  33·
                  12 hours ago

                  Dude, stop pretending, you could not list something that was not USA before, you will not be able to describe western now.

                  You need better preparation if you want to be a troll. Right now you are just coming out was xenophobic/racist and big corp lover.

                  this is you:

                  • sicilian
                    42·
                    12 hours ago

                    I think I know who the troll is now. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, but now I’m just going to ignore you like that other guy.

                    If you’re not trolling, then I hope one day you can learn from your ignorance.