South America09 April, 20261 min read
Brazil Court Removes BYD From Slave Labor Dirty List After Worker Rescue
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BYD added to Brazil's slavery-like labor registry by Labor Ministry, linked to 2024 workers scandal. Registry barred BYD from certain loans; damaged reputation in its largest market outside China.
BYD Slave Labor Scandal
Brazil's Regional Labor Court issued an injunction ordering the removal of BYD from the slave labor 'dirty list'. The listing came a year and a half after 163 Chinese workers were rescued amid precarious labor conditions. Workers were required to surrender passports, have wages remitted directly to China, and pay a nearly $900 deposit refundable only after six months.
The blaze began on the second floor around 4 p.m. as workers were completing a late shift. Fire service chief Mahmud Iqbal said rescue crews found most of the victims near the stairwells.
Survivor Testimonies and Worker Conditions
Survivors described scenes of workers pounding on locked metal doors as smoke filled the stairwells. Nasrin Begum escaped by jumping from a second-floor window. The Bangladesh Garment Workers' Federation called a nationwide strike.
Federation president Kalpona Akter said Rahman Textile had been cited for fire safety violations in 2024. Labour Minister Tahmina Akhter pledged an immediate government investigation.
Supply Chain and Accountability
Rahman Textile produced clothing for several European fashion brands. Hessen's compliance team had audited the factory in March. Rahman Textile owner Faisal Rahman claimed the factory had passed its most recent safety inspection in January.
Clean Clothes Campaign said the audit system was fundamentally broken. Rahman was being questioned about allegations that the factory's emergency exits had been welded shut.