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BYD is NOT doing this in China because labor law is VERY strict in China with HEAVY fines... Let me explain something to you. For someone that has been in China for 20 years, holding their wages and passport might be a good thing. Construction workers are renown for getting their wages at the end of the year and never returning to work, especially around Chinese new year. So, many companies only pay on the 10th of the following month. Holding their passport and wages is probably to keep them from disappearing into Brazil and ensures they return to China to collect their wages and take care of their families that are relying on them. As for the conditions, well that's unacceptable!
Unfortunately, not all of us were financially literate early. I was 35 when I finally educated myself and started taking steps. I went from $176,000 in debt with zero savings or retirement to now, 2 years later, fully debt-free and over $1000,000 net worth. I know that doesn't SOUND like a lot, but I'm incredibly proud of it. Now I'm fast-tracking my wealth building (investing $400,000 annually) and don't owe a dime to anyone. It's a good feeling!
4 years ago, I was living paycheck to paycheck, working 40 hours a week. I was a high school dropout with a GED and had a 489 credit score, along with an eviction, repossession, and collections. I got into real estate but encountered unqualified clients who couldn't qualify for a mortgage due to their credit. I found this home-based business here on TH-cam, and it just made sense.
My outlook on money changed when I realized that is better to invest on or before retirement, some people are just putting £15k or £20k With the current market movement at the end of the year they are making millions.
I run a quarry in Brazil. You are correct it would have cost sub 20USD to buy a basic mattress (90BRL).Worker in brazil have a lot of rights and are backed up by a pro-worker labour tribunal. Business owners who do not respect worker's rights in Brazil are foolhardy and shortsighted. In this case, my first inclination would be that BYD contracted a Chinese construction company that treated their workers as they would in China which runs afoul of Brazilian labour rules.
They would not be allowed to treat workers this way in China. BYD surely must have staff there monitoring the contractor. Someone from BYD senior management in China needs to fly to Brasil and sort it out.
I used to be a lawyer, now I'm teaching and I have to say Brazilian labour laws are fare. Not as protective as some EU countries and not lax as United States or non existing like Bangladesh. Helding documentation is a typical faul of slave like conditions. The rotten food and lack of quality in the labour quarter as helding wages is a typical way modern slavery.
Correct, only western people thought mattress is essential, Asians enjoys bamboo mat in summer, (Japanese tatami if you prefer, so it sounds more "High End") LOLs
My Thai mother in law is in her 80's and refuses to sleep on the brand new bed and mattress we bought her. Instead she sleeps on a thin hard bamboo mat like she has done all her life.
Thank you for having the courage to call this outrage out. This is totally unacceptable and cannot continue if BYD wants to succeed anywhere in the world.
@HdurmriSharjah-w1e That's just you. But sleeping with no mattress is one thing, the bathroom situation is utterly not acceptable, if true. And taking away their passports is absolutely illegal and should be severely reprimanded.
And most Chinese people eat dirty food and share toilets among 10 people…apparently their passports in Brazil were not confiscated…they were handed to their employee for safekeeping…😂😂
Me too but good to hear this talked about. I wonder if other car firms are equally as bad in this area. If China are serious about global expansion they really need to sort this primitive way of thinking. Brazil should have insisted on a local workforce to build the factories.
yeah. what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors at video 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆
@@bt3779How is he a huge China shill? He definitely is an “electric” shill, and he likes Chinese electric vehicles. Does that now make him a China shill? Oh, I’m sorry. He’s supposed to stick to the U.S. state department script. “Communist China bad. Communist China threat to “global security.” China steal, copy. China EV a bad, tofu quality. American EV superior technology because America is exceptional. Blah blah blah.
I think that may not be enough. Any other place that company is operating should investigate the conditions. If it is a pattern, then the company should be put out of business. Companies that hired the construction company also need to be investigated. We don't want the case where the fines for breaking the law are just a cost of doing business.
@@r.amoedo4151 Troll, you're totally IGNORANT about what China has been through during the last 2 to 3 decades for becoming the 2nd largest global economy and the top industrial country.
Kudos for speaking out!!! Exactly like the workers in Qatar building for the football World Cup! Their passports were also confiscated to prevent them from fleeing the appalling conditions! Thanks for doing the right thing! Kind regards Anders Sweden
I worked for a gangmaster that treated foreign labour in exactly the same way in the UK 30 years ago Some people are completely unscrupulous and despicable
Can visit the construction sites all over southeast Asia with imported labours (not necessarily Chinese) - same thing. Actually worse, no bunk for beds, no Aircon, makeshift huts for quarters, etc.😮
It happened in Australia as well, many kids from Asia were forced to work for nothing in some farms. I'm glad they were rescued. Hopefully BYD will learn from this mistake.
@@yscol1313 "this is all true"? How do you know before the formal investigation report comes out? "This is how I treat my indonesian maid"? Oh I see. Yes, living in their bosses' homes they work 24x6. Living in the space station and work 24x7. Can't leave until their boss find the right boat. So what?
@@liulaolao7269 I said “I imagine” meaning this is what I suspect, given my experience with East Asian and South East Asian norms. And I know for a fact that even if it were true, most Chinese people wouldn’t care. Not because they’re bad people but because their idea of normal is so different.
I'm glad you reported on this. We hear lots of positive news on BYD, but we never hear the negatives. This is endemic, it happens with Apple and it happens with BYD too. Slavery continues to be one of the world's biggest challenges despite the fact it is illegal.
Remember how people were talking about Slave like conditions in Apple Factories and Nike Factories? These are just the high profile one that got exposed. The problem is much deeper because people running these operations are Gangster like organizations.
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors at video 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' 😂
163 found in slavery conditions - but there was more problems, only not this level of severity. And there's only one of the contractors, the project is going on with the others. But yes, the case is open, BYD said that has rescinded this contractor, and there will be more investigations and a lot of juridic follow-ups.
I was a liaison to the Thai army in 1967. I bought my own bunk with mattress and mosquito netting. They had bunks with plywood and no mattresses or mosquito netting. They seem perfectly content with that.
@@antoinepageau8336 Of course unions are still relevant. Employers in Texas and Florida have limited water breaks for people working in the hot sun! Employers are unscrupulous.
@@antoinepageau8336 Of course unions are relevant in every country. One doesn't get improved wages and working conditions by asking nicely -- particularly when those they are asking enjoy the power and organization provided by incorporation and...wait for it...contracts. Getting a contract is what unions do.
In 1985 I was sent to work with a oil exploration crew in Somalia. Was a French company with most of the labor purchased from the Communist Somali government. The workers complained to me that they had no beds or broken metal cots. They showed me these beds. I talked to the French administrators. They said when they gave Somalis beds they sold their beds for cash. Not surprising, since the French company only paid $1 per day for labor plus $1 a day to buy food. (12 hours/day) The beds would sell for $75; about 2 months pay. Third world labor is commonly abused. 😞
I noticed in the video that the workers accommodation had a new looking air conditioner on the wall. The price of this machine would have been enough to buy basic mattresses for all single bunk beds. Doesn't make sense.
This has nothing to do with what make financial Sense, it has to do with people running these operations are Gangster like organization. There are simply no thoughts on the well being of the workers. You will find these type of operation outside of OCED countries.
The AC unit was not there for those workers. That most likely is part of the building and they had orders not to turn the AC on. When slave like conditions are found it usually is a combination of allegations like: lack of living conditions in workers quarters, food that is spoiled or not suitable for consumption, holding documentation and payment without a legal reason. It builds up before the D.A. (Public Ministry in Brazil) can press charges against the employer.
yeah doesn't make sense. what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors in the video at 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' ? 😂
China doesn't commonly have these conditions in China because in China Chinese people are connected. This DOES happen whenever Chinese workers get sent to poor nations though like Burma and Cambodia. Chinese government in China now is quite strict about labour abuses and miners actually have killed themselves in purposeful accidents to get the massive compensation for their families. But once you leave China under a Chinese company, you get locked in a complex and you have no way our or any way to communicate locally. In China, we actually watch TV shows about this kind of treatment abroad so it isn't so much of a secret. Do they get their pay in the end? Yes. Did they 100% know what they were signing up for? Sometimes since many people repeatedly go for these types of contracts and get their families in. You have to understand that there is a bit of arrogance in assuming everyone needs to meet a certain standard. Some people would rather just be employed and sleeping without a mattress isn't the end of the world for lots of people. This happened with the Xinjiang situation too. People claimed that the people in Xinjiang were being treated like slaves according to western labour laws. But after America placed sanctions on Xinjiang cotton it became much worse and Chinese people started actively buying more Xinjiang cotton to keep them employed. This is the entire trail towards development and Chinese people aren't so naive. The US and Canadian transcontinental railroads had a 10% death rate and they couldn't afford American workers so they hired Chinese people who did the job for half the price at $1 a day. Then when they arrived they were charged for food and housing that was free for Americans and Chinese workers ended up with just 20 cents a day despite being far more efficient than American workers. After thousands of dead Chinese workers, America and Canada had the key infrastructure it needed to accelerate it's economy and quickly shooed away all the Chinese workers before the cameras came to take photos. But I'm not saying this story because America is the devil. What the Chinese people learned was that it was better to be mistreated in America than to be poor back home. In fact, the Chinese community prospered after that hardship and it's a story repeated all around the world. Chinese people don't look at that piece of history as anti-chinese and more of a lesson that one must always do what's necessary. TLDR: these conditions are unimaginable only if you've had the privilege of growing up in fortunate conditions. 30 people using a bathroom is already more bathrooms than our entire neighborhood had growing up. Even old rich Chinese today very likely remember being subsistence farmers with no toilets and electricity.
And Ganges Kahn had slaves as well. This is 2024. All nations have black pages in their history books. NOW is the time that people should be treated right . BYD has the money so there is no excuse to treat them like they do. Get them a matrass. Get them decent food and a fridge. bring in some bathroom facilities and pay them their wages. simple as that. Every excuse you bring on can be wiped of the table.
Interesting points, but if a company's shareholders and leaders are profiting off these conditions, then it is still wrong. I'm speaking as someone who has owned byd shares for about a year. I am living a comfortable American life and when I sell my byd shares, which I will because of this, I will make money off the backs of these laborers who are probably making a fraction of what I will make just to support their struggling family half a world away. This is not right and it is our job in positions of comfort to demand better from companies who can do better.
Its always easy to talk about problems on the other side of the earth. The true heroes are the ones who put the focus on local problems where they who do it have all the power to go after you.
Mattresses. I know many older Chinese in Canada who totally hate sleeping on a mattress and much prefer a hard floor or a carpet. I don't believe that a mattress is a standard of human rights...
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors in the video at 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' ? 😂
@@elephantintheroom5678 first how do you know wage and passport are withheld? look at the sleeping dorm, put ur self in that position 30 in one rooms.. 1) how are u going to keep your money/passport safe? without it get stolen or lost ? 2) those food you see there are vegetable no meat are shown in the video, vegetable can last a fewdays NP in these weather
BYD hired a construction company to build the factory. The construction company operates within a set budget, and the workers are paid a lump sum to complete the job, not an hourly wage. As a result, some workers choose to work 16-20 hours a day, sleep, wake up, and start again the next day without any days off. How many Brazilians would be willing to do this kind of work? This isn’t slave labor-it’s called coolie hard work. People sign up for this kind of job because the alternative is often no better, like signing up for the 'Squid Game.'
It would be interesting for that to be investigated as I can quite see why those workers would want to do that. Time not working is of no value to them in a remote building site and foreign country. Far better to fill your time. Particularly western workers are so used to easy lives and having it all, they jump on such things as 'bad'. Although on a very different level I used to do something similar, I never took time off that I was entitled to as holidays. I could get paid for it as overtime. Most just wasted their time and money having holidays away somewhere, their choice. I retired early!
The workers were Chinese employed by its Chinese contractors. There appears to be appalling conditions but are not really unusual on Indonesian, Malaysian, or Myanmar construction sites.
You have a great channel and the following is meant as a constructive critique; From the looks of it this is just a predatory propaganda hit job, I love your channel but you haven't been to China and haven't worked in remote conditions. I have lived and worked in several countries including China (as an professional and as a business man). Let's start with the mattresses, when my Chinese in-laws arrived to visit us when I was living in the Seattle area they stayed at my home they slept on a queen size bed with a hard mattress. They were tired the first day and immediately took a short nap, when they awakened they told my wife how nice the room was but that the mattress was far too soft. My wife told me and after a short discussion I went to the nearest Lowes and picked up a few 3x1's and sheets of plywood put it all together. My in-laws were a little embarrassed with my fussing over them. But it was the first time I had met my in-laws and wanted them to feel special (sucking up to the in-laws can pay huge dividends). All they had was a thin blanket on top of a couple of sheets and they were so happy. When I stayed at my sister in-laws in China for several weeks, I slept on a bed that was essentially a mattress that was as hard as a sheet of plywood with a sheet on top. I finally adapted to this the last few days I stayed with them. They were affluent and had no idea that sleeping was extremely uncomfortable every night except for a couple of days at the end of my stay. The overheads I saw clearly show that this site is barely established and for whatever reason the normal housing barracks hadn't all arrived for whatever reason. The passport thing is a little different, but you can't assume that it's coercive, the workers may prefer it that way. When you project intent without knowing the culture you will more often than not be making naive assumptions. In regards to the "dirty food", in my extensive travels and knowledge of Chinese both in China and abroad is that the food is just as clean as anything I've experienced in the west. I imagine that you get trolled a bit about being a China lover or paid shill, I get it sometimes you want to get some off your back, but your title is click bait and misinforms. From 18 to 26 years old I worked as a union sheet metal worker in Canada, after that I went back to university and studied economics. When I was a tradesmen I loved working 5x12's of 6x16's, my preference was 7x16s since I was away from my young family and a day off meant reduced earnings and boredom. I can assure you that if and when you ever visit China that you will be very pissed at the endless BS they've fed you for decades, just be observant. I suspect that the labor inspector either had issues or that there are shenanigans or corruption that led to this political hit job. I appreciate the hard work that you do and I gave you a thumbs up, I've watched your channel on and off for quite a while, otherwise I would not bothered.
Thank you Sam for this video. This is important to be broadcasted if it is true. All workers at any factory should have Brazilian workers law and rights. No more slavery in 2024. Very bad for BYD brand image.
Well done Viking, I honestly didn’t think you would make this video. I believe this is the top of the iceberg in regards to forced labour and ethical business practices
positive in the north and negative in the south - race and class in Brazil - the plant is in the northeast - least European and poorest in Brazil - the south and media in Brazil are pro- washington - the media and the way they talk about China you think they are American - and yes the US/European media report it on schedule - note that worksite dorms are "slave like" condition everywhere
As a Brazilian, can you tell me IF the Factory they are building.... WILL have BRAZILIANS Working there? Or will the Factory still be run by Chinese workers afterward?
This story might be true but it might also be the construction company to blame. Here in South Africa we have gold mines that belong to the Chinese close to the town where I live. I havent heard from friends and people working there, that they have not been paid, neither have they been ill treated or forced to work unreasonable hours and in terrible conditions. Just trying to state a true fact.
Guessing you haven't heard is because to keep the operation going you limit the freedom of the workers to get the news out about conditions or treatments. We had a house in our neighborhood purchased a couple decades ago. There were approximately 15 adults living in the 4 bedroom house. Every morning a couple of vans showed up, all the chinese workers got in, and off they drove, until they returned them that night. I NEVER saw a single person from that house ever walk around the neighborhood or do anything outside. It took about 5 years for the house to degrade, they disappeared, and someone bought and renovated the house.
Australian here. I have reluctantly surrendered my passport on Chinese run cruises (to South Korea) and in hotels in China. It's part of the modus operandi and not considered to be malicious, only practical. This needs to be kept in mind.
For a holiday, I’ll make an assumption that in the context of the holiday in China, it makes sense (even if it’s not done in Europe or the pacific or the US) - but this context of working full time, is very different.
I've lived in China and visit frequently. The Chinese culture is very energetic indeed and this is almost certainly why Chinese labor was imported. Hard fast work is part of the Chines ethos. The company responsible was probably counting on cultural and language isolation to obscure the bad conditions. The construction industry globally does not have a good record. I wonder if the Chinese workers thought thsy were getting a bad deal though?
What the Chinese have learned from history is that the winner takes all. If we lose, we will be the true slaves. Europe and the US were ahead for hundreds of years through war, you saw it, the technical blockade and the threat of sanctions, and you just had to accept their terms or live like the Cubans.
Hopefully, better living conditions will turn out for these workers. This video reminds me of the millions of homeless people living in the streets of America.
Coming from South East Asia, these are better conditions than most construction sites in this region. Asian are used to such living conditions or worse in the construction sector. If movies are anything to go by, these living quarters appear to be better than life in Brazilian slums.
Passport is the most important document for tourists abroad. You don’t understand how much trouble a lost passport can cause for you and your team. Keeping 163 passports in a safe place is really not a bad idea. What's more, these workers want to finish their work as quickly as possible so they can be reunited with their families. Since they do not leave the construction site very often, the passport is really a burden for the worker as he has to keep it safe to avoid being stolen, or eaten by a rat.
Just your comment about passports being eaten by rats shows how bad the conditions are in this place. Its Brazil, not China, you have to run the construction project by Brazilian labor and construction standards, not Chinese standards.
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors in the video at 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' ? 😂
@LivingLonger pasting your same rebuttal comment a thousand times in the comments does not make you more believable. It sounds like a bot of the Chinese government commenting...
As a Brazilian, can you tell me IF the Factory they are building.... WILL have BRAZILIANS Working there? Or will the Factory still be run by Chinese workers afterward?
Back in the 90's, I was living in Peru, a Chinese company had purchased an iron producing mine, which they renamed to "Shougan Hierro Peru" in the Peruvian city of Pisco. They brought thousands of Chinese people in ships and had them living in quarters like the ones you showed. They were paid in rice bowls and rode bikes to the work sites. Word was back then that they used to be farmers in China. I thought that had changed.... guess not. I have Chinese friends who live well, even better than in the West. I am thinking, maybe, in the farmland, they still lack behind. They told me that they need passports to live in the city. Any feedback on this? To finish my story, the Peruvian government stepped in and had the Chinese workers shipped back to China and replaced them with Peruvian workers.
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors at video 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' 😂
@@NoiserToo Most of what is he saying about Chinese EVs surpassing the Western legacy autos are true. I used to think he must be sponsored by the Chinese government. But this story pretty much invalidates that theory. He could have just ignored it and not talk about it.
@ - somewhat true, I think Sam is feeling the heat from western pushback and he’s deflecting a bit for one episode. Next week he will be all giddy again over German layoffs. I want him to be fair and balanced in All of his reporting.
I am brazilian, my country criminalize work. This is never a "Slave", but exist a criminal court to accuse who creates jobs here. Its a shame how Brazil manage this issue. Its a LIE.
Salary holback is common in China across all jobs. In China companies use it to keep people working when the conditions would cause them to quit because if you quit the company keeps the money. This can be up to three months pay. It seems like worker exploration is common for them.
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors in the video at 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' ? 😂
FYI Sam, China is NOT selling EVs in Mexico, that are 99% ICE. And I won't be surprised if they turn out to have 60,000 mile engines in them, please correct me if I'm being unreasonable on this point.
@@jetli740 I think you are referencing Sam's stock video sequences. There are 14 new brands on the street in Mexico, 30% of all new cars this year. There are virtually zero public chargers in Mexico. 60% of GM cars (all ICE) are made in China by SAIC. I hope this helps. Use AI to easily verify.
People needs to know that it's not BYD that does this. It's the construction companies that BYD contracted for that did this. Same logic as how you should go after Foxconn, the one that actually manufacture Apple product than going after Apple. Lots of times all these companies don't actually know the management of their contractors just from the outside.
in china people dont sleep on matresses. they have some special matress that is as hard as wood, literally...hard wood like. As a foreigner i cant but...thats how they are used to. So really nothing shocking.
BYD started as a battery company that then built cars around said batteries. The others are the other way around, trying to shoehorn EV tech into legacy chassis.
I don’t think that BYD will do such stupid things with their workers… subcontractors may do… I met Chinese workers in frankfurt for building Chinese garden… they are free and lived in normal conditions…
Jai Hind. We Indians must be always vigilant to prevent such working conditions of scam centres and BYD in Myanmar, Laos, Philippines, Brazil and China etc. to become a New normal for our Indian construction and industrial workers. We know for instance that Indian construction workers' working conditions at construction sites in the Middle East Gulf region are not ideal but authorities had normally turned a blind eye.
@@cidie1 this is free for the company provided the accommodation. If the worker want to have a better condition, they can rent a house by their money. However, the worker wants to save their money! It is their wish!
The foreign labor workers in Taiwan (Pinoys, Viet, Indo) also have their passports held either by the factories or by their agents. It's pretty normal. Nothing wrong with that.
Sam, unions in australia gave us the 8 hour day and 40 hour week - that means they also gave us the weekends and so much more. That's not to say that unions are 100% good but there are many things people take for granted that are due to unions.
Your way of thinking, along with most of those responding, reflects a developed country mindset without delving into the circumstances of the country in question. Remember, this is happening in a developing country. I’m sure the workers are not being forced to work at that company. If they are not happy, they can look for another job... if there are any. So, having jobs with such poor conditions is already a great help for them. Remember, social security there (if it exists) is certainly not like in Australia. While it's not ideal, that is the choice available to them. If companies are forced to provide conditions and salaries like those in developed countries, then those companies will not be willing to invest in developing countries like Brazil, resulting in the people of those countries not getting jobs and remaining perpetually underdeveloped. If you feel disturbed by the conditions they are experiencing, why not organize a donation of mattresses for them? Perhaps with $10, you could buy one mattress to give to them. But don't be surprised if those mattresses are sold once they receive them and the money is used for other things. Welcome to the third world country, and let's be grateful to live in Australia.
Three points I want to make: 1. The construction company is most likely awarded the contract by BYD to build their factory. So it is important to draw a distinction between the construction company and BYD. This is like Apple and the companies contracted to make iPhones. Let's see what BYD's response to this is (if everything is found to be true). 2. To be fair, a lot of Chinese people (mainly from rural backgrounds) prefer sleeping without mattresses. Different strokes different folks. I saw an air conditioner in the video so heat may not be a factor. And I don't think a $20 mattress is what the company is trying to save on a multi-million (billion?) dollar project. 3. Living conditions may not be up to Brazilian labor standards but how about the authorities interview the workers and ask them if they feel mistreated.
I had work training about labor trafficking and unfortunately sounds nearly identical to the example story used in the training. A big factor or clue specifically mentioned by the training was restriction of access to passports. And withheld wages as well as contract termination fees to the worker. All of these I believe are listed as human rights abuses. I hope that BYD chooses to pay very careful attention from now on and tries to do the right thing. Great products but there's absolutely no need for any of this. There's a difference between accelerating progress and cutting corners. They can have dangerous unforseen consequences and leave people suffering. My prayers for all affected. Unfortunately even today this continues to be an all too common issue among supply chains.
This is precisely why I will not only buy a Car that is Union Made to support American Manufacturing, but suppor tthe workers & their familes right to earn a living wage, while companies exploit them to make billions. Please reconsider your view on Unions Sam. I've worked for one for nearly 30 years, and not only are wages better, but benefits as well !
I am right there with you BUT American car companies should then be made to make affordable cars. Notice that when Hillary lost, the car companies quickly got rid of the "compliance cars", and went right back to only making giant ships on wheels. GM, for example, cancelled every affordable car they made.
He is pro Chinese cars. Now he just condemned the 'harsh' working condition of a Chinese company. Noticed in the kitchen there were boxes and boxes of vegetables and eggs. At least these slave workers have plenty to eat. 😅😅😅
Something like this happened some time ago where workers were paid their full wages every two weeks. When they finish their work and return to China, some workers have empty pockets. Where did the money go? Casinos, red light districts. The wives came to the company to complain and demand compensation. This is indeed a good thing, leaving some money for workers to be paid in full when they return to their families. .
Then should we also withhold profits from the rich owners to be sure they don't mis-spend their profits? Funny how only the poor have THEIR money controlled!
The dorm doesn't look that bad at all. Lots of people in China don't like mattresses. There is no confirmation at all, not unless you interview the workers.
This is very common in Asia. I mean all over South Asia South East Asia. Construction companies are the worst abusers of worker conditions and sometimes involves human trafficking's.
If even Reuters run story saying that "BYD contractor denies 'slavery-like conditions' claims by Brazilian authorities' I think there is reason to doubt this story. Brazil is a country where they imprisoned the president on false charges.
Friend, I inform you that you are wrong. The president of Brazil was arrested with lots of evidence of corruption. And he was released by the judiciary, which is as corrupt as the president.
Friend, I inform you that you are wrong. The president of Brazil was arrested with lots of evidence of corruption. And he was released by the judiciary, which is as corrupt as the president.
Here in Algeria Chinese construction companies did win lots of bids in the early 2000's, and we discovered that most "workers" they brought up were actually prisoners in China who had shorter sentences if they worked in these harsh conditions.
Good reporting. Thanks. We want good priced and good quality products, but the workers should also be treated respectfully and be paid reasonable wages, be in in Brazil, China, Australia, USA, etc. I know it's naive to expect that to just happen, but reporting like this helps bring it to the forefront and hopefully make things better for those workers.
Sam the truth is you can’t cut costs at the rates we see for these firms without taking advantage of workers. We need to face into this thing and call it out. It’s obscene
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BYD is NOT doing this in China because labor law is VERY strict in China with HEAVY fines... Let me explain something to you. For someone that has been in China for 20 years, holding their wages and passport might be a good thing. Construction workers are renown for getting their wages at the end of the year and never returning to work, especially around Chinese new year. So, many companies only pay on the 10th of the following month. Holding their passport and wages is probably to keep them from disappearing into Brazil and ensures they return to China to collect their wages and take care of their families that are relying on them. As for the conditions, well that's unacceptable!
I'm glad you made this video it reminds me of my transformation from a nobody to good home, $34k monthly and a good daughter full of love
My advice to everyone is that saving is great but investment is the key to be successful imagine investing $15,000 and received $472,700.
Unfortunately, not all of us were financially literate early. I was 35 when I finally educated myself and started taking steps. I went from $176,000 in debt with zero savings or retirement to now, 2 years later, fully debt-free and over $1000,000 net worth. I know that doesn't SOUND like a lot, but I'm incredibly proud of it. Now I'm fast-tracking my wealth building (investing $400,000 annually) and don't owe a dime to anyone. It's a good feeling!
4 years ago, I was living paycheck to paycheck, working 40 hours a week. I was a high school dropout with a GED and had a 489 credit score, along with an eviction, repossession, and collections. I got into real estate but encountered unqualified clients who couldn't qualify for a mortgage due to their credit. I found this home-based business here on TH-cam, and it just made sense.
My outlook on money changed when I realized that is better to invest on or before retirement, some people are just putting £15k or £20k With the current market movement at the end of the year they are making millions.
wow this awesome I'm 47 and have been looking for ways to be successful, please how??
I run a quarry in Brazil. You are correct it would have cost sub 20USD to buy a basic mattress (90BRL).Worker in brazil have a lot of rights and are backed up by a pro-worker labour tribunal. Business owners who do not respect worker's rights in Brazil are foolhardy and shortsighted. In this case, my first inclination would be that BYD contracted a Chinese construction company that treated their workers as they would in China which runs afoul of Brazilian labour rules.
They would not be allowed to treat workers this way in China. BYD surely must have staff there monitoring the contractor. Someone from BYD senior management in China needs to fly to Brasil and sort it out.
I used to be a lawyer, now I'm teaching and I have to say Brazilian labour laws are fare. Not as protective as some EU countries and not lax as United States or non existing like Bangladesh. Helding documentation is a typical faul of slave like conditions. The rotten food and lack of quality in the labour quarter as helding wages is a typical way modern slavery.
Damn I feel so soory fer the workers, I hope thwey get to keep their jobs so they can continue to have something to feed their families. 😢
This happens when the Chinese contract in problematic countries based on Trust.
If the Chinese don't organize everything on their own nothing works.
There's about half a billion people in Brasil. Why do they need to import 163 low skilled Chinese Labourers?
In Hong Kong we slept on a bamboo mat rather than a mattress. A lot cooler in the summer.
Correct, only western people thought mattress is essential, Asians enjoys bamboo mat in summer, (Japanese tatami if you prefer, so it sounds more "High End") LOLs
Not uncommon in hot climates to sleep on rattans, don't really hear Westerners or Europeans do this.
My Thai mother in law is in her 80's and refuses to sleep on the brand new bed and mattress we bought her. Instead she sleeps on a thin hard bamboo mat like she has done all her life.
Not everyone likes mattress (too warm, soft, back hurt). The conditions look like regular dormitory.
My grand parents in Hong Kong slept on hard beds in the 70s I couldn't get used to it
Thank you for having the courage to call this outrage out. This is totally unacceptable and cannot continue if BYD wants to succeed anywhere in the world.
Most Chinese people do not use mattresses for various reasons, especially in summer or high humidity weather conditions.
Lived in Guangdong for 12 year, never seen that
@HdurmriSharjah-w1e hahaha
@HdurmriSharjah-w1e That's just you.
But sleeping with no mattress is one thing, the bathroom situation is utterly not acceptable, if true. And taking away their passports is absolutely illegal and should be severely reprimanded.
And most Chinese people eat dirty food and share toilets among 10 people…apparently their passports in Brazil were not confiscated…they were handed to their employee for safekeeping…😂😂
wr
Surprised he spoke about this on his channel.
me too.. he seems to be a real electric boy
A huge China shill, still glad this was covered. Not at all shocking though.
Me too but good to hear this talked about. I wonder if other car firms are equally as bad in this area. If China are serious about global expansion they really need to sort this primitive way of thinking. Brazil should have insisted on a local workforce to build the factories.
yeah. what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors at video 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆
@@bt3779How is he a huge China shill? He definitely is an “electric” shill, and he likes Chinese electric vehicles. Does that now make him a China shill?
Oh, I’m sorry. He’s supposed to stick to the U.S. state department script.
“Communist China bad. Communist China threat to “global security.” China steal, copy. China EV a bad, tofu quality. American EV superior technology because America is exceptional. Blah blah blah.
The construction company should be held accountable to the full extent of local laws!
In this case making the news is more punishment than local laws allow.
I think that may not be enough. Any other place that company is operating should investigate the conditions. If it is a pattern, then the company should be put out of business. Companies that hired the construction company also need to be investigated. We don't want the case where the fines for breaking the law are just a cost of doing business.
@@kensmith5694 I think a 5 year ban from the market would get their attention more than a fine.
100% sure BYD knew and was on board with that. Worker exploration is a key part of china's competitiveness
@@r.amoedo4151 Troll, you're totally IGNORANT about what China has been through during the last 2 to 3 decades for becoming the 2nd largest global economy and the top industrial country.
Kudos for speaking out!!!
Exactly like the workers in Qatar building for the football World Cup! Their passports were also confiscated to prevent them from fleeing the appalling conditions!
Thanks for doing the right thing!
Kind regards
Anders
Sweden
The Kafala system will likely be used again for World Cup 2034 where the bidding process was rigged and only one "special" country bid and won.
Miners of lithium, sulphur etc in poor countries are also living in terrible conditions.
你有没有了解真相就发表评论？这些工人把护照交给公司是为了让公司统一办理居留许可和各种证件，这在中国是普遍现象，更何况这些人是没有多少文化，以前没有出过国的建筑工人。另外，我今天也问了我的巴西朋友，确实在巴西有很严厉的劳工法规，视频里的居住设施和就餐环境在巴西就是属于违反规定。今天中国的社交媒体上也在讨论这个事，很多人看了视频里的宿舍画面也觉得不理解，那种居住条件如果放在中国某些修路修桥的环境里真不叫什么事，至少看起来屋子里是整洁的，这就是文化差异造成的，而且本来巴西现在就是夏天。
@@jiaao86 Sam stated at the outset he checked the authenticity. 31 workers, 1 toilet is a fact hard to explain.
..and these Indian workers in Qatar look exactly like Chinese.. these Asian governments are all alike😳😁⁉️
I worked for a gangmaster that treated foreign labour in exactly the same way in the UK 30 years ago
Some people are completely unscrupulous and despicable
Same problems in the Arab gulf ....
South and Central Americans in. US .. agriculture and construction..
Can visit the construction sites all over southeast Asia with imported labours (not necessarily Chinese) - same thing.
Actually worse, no bunk for beds, no Aircon, makeshift huts for quarters, etc.😮
wrr
It happened in Australia as well, many kids from Asia were forced to work for nothing in some farms. I'm glad they were rescued. Hopefully BYD will learn from this mistake.
Me too, but in Canada. Chinese owned gold mine.
I suspect the headline is sensationalism with 98% lies with buzz words and 2% truths. I’m surprised the Electric Viking fell for this hit job on BYD.
Looks like Sam isn't immune to propaganda himself, LOL US$1.6 billion anti-China propaganda bill is doing its job.
I imagine this is all true but people reading this in much of the world would respond with “so what? This is how I treat my indonesian maid”
@@yscol1313
"this is all true"? How do you know before the formal investigation report comes out?
"This is how I treat my indonesian maid"?
Oh I see. Yes, living in their bosses' homes they work 24x6.
Living in the space station and work 24x7. Can't leave until their boss find the right boat. So what?
To please those who accuse him of too pro-China.
@@liulaolao7269 I said “I imagine” meaning this is what I suspect, given my experience with East Asian and South East Asian norms. And I know for a fact that even if it were true, most Chinese people wouldn’t care. Not because they’re bad people but because their idea of normal is so different.
This was normal when I was in the Czech army, also slave conditions and treatmen, 1970.
I'm glad you reported on this. We hear lots of positive news on BYD, but we never hear the negatives. This is endemic, it happens with Apple and it happens with BYD too. Slavery continues to be one of the world's biggest challenges despite the fact it is illegal.
@cunawarit yet in America the only slavery anyone talks about happened there 150 years ago. Slavery today? Ignored completely.
A lot of respect to this guy, he didn’t bow down to the industry, his humanity has spoken louder
Remember how people were talking about Slave like conditions in Apple Factories and Nike Factories? These are just the high profile one that got exposed. The problem is much deeper because people running these operations are Gangster like organizations.
@@kevinakling yeah well there's very little the US government can do to combat slavery in China
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors at video 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' 😂
Only 163 workers for such a huge site? what about the rest of the people? it's definitely not the complete story
163 Chinese workers, amd the rest are probably Brillian.
163 found in slavery conditions - but there was more problems, only not this level of severity. And there's only one of the contractors, the project is going on with the others.
But yes, the case is open, BYD said that has rescinded this contractor, and there will be more investigations and a lot of juridic follow-ups.
@@urielmarx "slavery conditions"?
Please check up your dictionary on slavery.
I was a liaison to the Thai army in 1967. I bought my own bunk with mattress and mosquito netting. They had bunks with plywood and no mattresses or mosquito netting. They seem perfectly content with that.
This is one of the reasons unions are important. I applaud you for bringing this to our attention.
Correct, like in NorthAmerica there were safety risks before unions showed the way. Are they still relevant today in NorthAmerica? I don’t think so.
@@antoinepageau8336 Of course unions are still relevant. Employers in Texas and Florida have limited water breaks for people working in the hot sun! Employers are unscrupulous.
Agreed 100%
@@antoinepageau8336 Of course unions are relevant in every country. One doesn't get improved wages and working conditions by asking nicely -- particularly when those they are asking enjoy the power and organization provided by incorporation and...wait for it...contracts. Getting a contract is what unions do.
YOUR RIGHT 100%
In 1985 I was sent to work with a oil exploration crew in Somalia. Was a French company with most of the labor purchased from the Communist Somali government.
The workers complained to me that they had no beds or broken metal cots. They showed me these beds.
I talked to the French administrators. They said when they gave Somalis beds they sold their beds for cash.
Not surprising, since the French company only paid $1 per day for labor plus $1 a day to buy food. (12 hours/day)
The beds would sell for $75; about 2 months pay.
Third world labor is commonly abused. 😞
I noticed in the video that the workers accommodation had a new looking air conditioner on the wall. The price of this machine would have been enough to buy basic mattresses for all single bunk beds. Doesn't make sense.
This has nothing to do with what make financial Sense, it has to do with people running these operations are Gangster like organization. There are simply no thoughts on the well being of the workers. You will find these type of operation outside of OCED countries.
The AC unit was not there for those workers. That most likely is part of the building and they had orders not to turn the AC on. When slave like conditions are found it usually is a combination of allegations like: lack of living conditions in workers quarters, food that is spoiled or not suitable for consumption, holding documentation and payment without a legal reason. It builds up before the D.A. (Public Ministry in Brazil) can press charges against the employer.
yeah doesn't make sense. what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors in the video at 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' ? 😂
@@LivingLongerI know right? Everyone who has been there (sound that doesn’t include you, or I) must be completely mistaken. Every. Single. Person.
It is not uncommon for the Chinese to sleep without mattresses. Some believe it is better for their backs.
It has to be accurate if its from BBC LOL
Good point.. will have to see .
BBC is the biggest fake news media
It's all over the Brazilian press.
I'm sure Instagram will send some actual journalists to have a look.
I feel confident that none of these workers had mattresses at home
China doesn't commonly have these conditions in China because in China Chinese people are connected. This DOES happen whenever Chinese workers get sent to poor nations though like Burma and Cambodia. Chinese government in China now is quite strict about labour abuses and miners actually have killed themselves in purposeful accidents to get the massive compensation for their families.
But once you leave China under a Chinese company, you get locked in a complex and you have no way our or any way to communicate locally.
In China, we actually watch TV shows about this kind of treatment abroad so it isn't so much of a secret. Do they get their pay in the end? Yes. Did they 100% know what they were signing up for? Sometimes since many people repeatedly go for these types of contracts and get their families in.
You have to understand that there is a bit of arrogance in assuming everyone needs to meet a certain standard. Some people would rather just be employed and sleeping without a mattress isn't the end of the world for lots of people. This happened with the Xinjiang situation too. People claimed that the people in Xinjiang were being treated like slaves according to western labour laws. But after America placed sanctions on Xinjiang cotton it became much worse and Chinese people started actively buying more Xinjiang cotton to keep them employed.
This is the entire trail towards development and Chinese people aren't so naive. The US and Canadian transcontinental railroads had a 10% death rate and they couldn't afford American workers so they hired Chinese people who did the job for half the price at $1 a day. Then when they arrived they were charged for food and housing that was free for Americans and Chinese workers ended up with just 20 cents a day despite being far more efficient than American workers. After thousands of dead Chinese workers, America and Canada had the key infrastructure it needed to accelerate it's economy and quickly shooed away all the Chinese workers before the cameras came to take photos.
But I'm not saying this story because America is the devil. What the Chinese people learned was that it was better to be mistreated in America than to be poor back home. In fact, the Chinese community prospered after that hardship and it's a story repeated all around the world. Chinese people don't look at that piece of history as anti-chinese and more of a lesson that one must always do what's necessary.
TLDR: these conditions are unimaginable only if you've had the privilege of growing up in fortunate conditions. 30 people using a bathroom is already more bathrooms than our entire neighborhood had growing up. Even old rich Chinese today very likely remember being subsistence farmers with no toilets and electricity.
And Ganges Kahn had slaves as well. This is 2024. All nations have black pages in their history books. NOW is the time that people should be treated right . BYD has the money so there is no excuse to treat them like they do. Get them a matrass. Get them decent food and a fridge. bring in some bathroom facilities and pay them their wages. simple as that. Every excuse you bring on can be wiped of the table.
Interesting points, but if a company's shareholders and leaders are profiting off these conditions, then it is still wrong. I'm speaking as someone who has owned byd shares for about a year. I am living a comfortable American life and when I sell my byd shares, which I will because of this, I will make money off the backs of these laborers who are probably making a fraction of what I will make just to support their struggling family half a world away. This is not right and it is our job in positions of comfort to demand better from companies who can do better.
Now I understand why Chinese cars are so cheap….
Let’s see if Warren Buffet agrees with you.
It's v difficult to make whytes see their privilege...
Very viking-like from you to talk about it, respect!
Its always easy to talk about problems on the other side of the earth. The true heroes are the ones who put the focus on local problems where they who do it have all the power to go after you.
They’re not famous for taking critique lightly, so kudos
Mattresses. I know many older Chinese in Canada who totally hate sleeping on a mattress and much prefer a hard floor or a carpet. I don't believe that a mattress is a standard of human rights...
And taking their passports? What about holding back 60% of their pay? Or feeding them food unrefrigerated in hot Brazilian temperatures?
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors in the video at 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' ? 😂
@@elephantintheroom5678 first how do you know wage and passport are withheld? look at the sleeping dorm, put ur self in that position 30 in one rooms.. 1) how are u going to keep your money/passport safe? without it get stolen or lost ?
2) those food you see there are vegetable no meat are shown in the video, vegetable can last a fewdays NP in these weather
@@LivingLonger 3:18 these are vegetable where the raw meat?
@@jetli740he didn't say raw meat. He said raw food
BYD hired a construction company to build the factory. The construction company operates within a set budget, and the workers are paid a lump sum to complete the job, not an hourly wage. As a result, some workers choose to work 16-20 hours a day, sleep, wake up, and start again the next day without any days off. How many Brazilians would be willing to do this kind of work? This isn’t slave labor-it’s called coolie hard work. People sign up for this kind of job because the alternative is often no better, like signing up for the 'Squid Game.'
"This isn’t slave labor-it’s called coolie hard work. "
slavery is well established in China and you don't know what you are talking about
It would be interesting for that to be investigated as I can quite see why those workers would want to do that. Time not working is of no value to them in a remote building site and foreign country. Far better to fill your time. Particularly western workers are so used to easy lives and having it all, they jump on such things as 'bad'.
Although on a very different level I used to do something similar, I never took time off that I was entitled to as holidays. I could get paid for it as overtime. Most just wasted their time and money having holidays away somewhere, their choice. I retired early!
That doesn't make it ok, does it?
你想过没有 为什么在中国可以这样 中国有工会 但你见过工会维护工人权益吗
@@yunchengzhu-bj2tt 退休金是工人权益吗? 60歲+免費剩地鐵?
Kudos for covering this story objectively given your pro EVZ stance.
The workers were Chinese employed by its Chinese contractors. There appears to be appalling conditions but are not really unusual on Indonesian, Malaysian, or Myanmar construction sites.
Let’s pretend your generalisation is not a generalisation and then ask: does that make it right or fair - let alone acceptable?
I initially thought it might be a fake story, but it clearly is not fake.
You have a great channel and the following is meant as a constructive critique; From the looks of it this is just a predatory propaganda hit job, I love your channel but you haven't been to China and haven't worked in remote conditions. I have lived and worked in several countries including China (as an professional and as a business man). Let's start with the mattresses, when my Chinese in-laws arrived to visit us when I was living in the Seattle area they stayed at my home they slept on a queen size bed with a hard mattress. They were tired the first day and immediately took a short nap, when they awakened they told my wife how nice the room was but that the mattress was far too soft. My wife told me and after a short discussion I went to the nearest Lowes and picked up a few 3x1's and sheets of plywood put it all together. My in-laws were a little embarrassed with my fussing over them. But it was the first time I had met my in-laws and wanted them to feel special (sucking up to the in-laws can pay huge dividends). All they had was a thin blanket on top of a couple of sheets and they were so happy.
When I stayed at my sister in-laws in China for several weeks, I slept on a bed that was essentially a mattress that was as hard as a sheet of plywood with a sheet on top. I finally adapted to this the last few days I stayed with them. They were affluent and had no idea that sleeping was extremely uncomfortable every night except for a couple of days at the end of my stay.
The overheads I saw clearly show that this site is barely established and for whatever reason the normal housing barracks hadn't all arrived for whatever reason. The passport thing is a little different, but you can't assume that it's coercive, the workers may prefer it that way. When you project intent without knowing the culture you will more often than not be making naive assumptions.
In regards to the "dirty food", in my extensive travels and knowledge of Chinese both in China and abroad is that the food is just as clean as anything I've experienced in the west. I imagine that you get trolled a bit about being a China lover or paid shill, I get it sometimes you want to get some off your back, but your title is click bait and misinforms. From 18 to 26 years old I worked as a union sheet metal worker in Canada, after that I went back to university and studied economics. When I was a tradesmen I loved working 5x12's of 6x16's, my preference was 7x16s since I was away from my young family and a day off meant reduced earnings and boredom.
I can assure you that if and when you ever visit China that you will be very pissed at the endless BS they've fed you for decades, just be observant. I suspect that the labor inspector either had issues or that there are shenanigans or corruption that led to this political hit job. I appreciate the hard work that you do and I gave you a thumbs up, I've watched your channel on and off for quite a while, otherwise I would not bothered.
Thank you Sam for this video. This is important to be broadcasted if it is true. All workers at any factory should have Brazilian workers law and rights. No more slavery in 2024. Very bad for BYD brand image.
应该是总包还没进场，前期的土方整平，地质探勘测量，围挡单位，临时保安，之类的.... 这些工种本来就是游击方式工作，byd根本不需要安排他们。 场地都是临电临水，哪来的厕所哦，周边没有住宿最多就是住货柜屋，比如地质探勘单位，最多一个月把工作完成，买床垫做啥
Well done Viking, I honestly didn’t think you would make this video. I believe this is the top of the iceberg in regards to forced labour and ethical business practices
As a person who live in equator. I can't sleep on mattress without air conditioner.
The mattress will be soaked by my sweat
same as in asia, impossible to sleep on mattress with noon AC....these are construction site dont expect it to have electricity and AC
As a Brazilian this is bad news. Brazilians in general have good expectations about this factory
positive in the north and negative in the south - race and class in Brazil - the plant is in the northeast - least European and poorest in Brazil - the south and media in Brazil are pro- washington - the media and the way they talk about China you think they are American - and yes the US/European media report it on schedule - note that worksite dorms are "slave like" condition everywhere
As a Brazilian,
can you tell me IF the Factory they are building.... WILL have BRAZILIANS Working there?
Or will the Factory still be run by Chinese workers afterward?
All humans deserve
dignity and liberties.
Un ironically posting this while also being anti union is craaaazzzyyyy. Yep you’re the real hero in this story.
This story might be true but it might also be the construction company to blame. Here in South Africa we have gold mines that belong to the Chinese close to the town where I live. I havent heard from friends and people working there, that they have not been paid, neither have they been ill treated or forced to work unreasonable hours and in terrible conditions. Just trying to state a true fact.
Guessing you haven't heard is because to keep the operation going you limit the freedom of the workers to get the news out about conditions or treatments. We had a house in our neighborhood purchased a couple decades ago. There were approximately 15 adults living in the 4 bedroom house. Every morning a couple of vans showed up, all the chinese workers got in, and off they drove, until they returned them that night. I NEVER saw a single person from that house ever walk around the neighborhood or do anything outside. It took about 5 years for the house to degrade, they disappeared, and someone bought and renovated the house.
Australian here. I have reluctantly surrendered my passport on Chinese run cruises (to South Korea) and in hotels in China. It's part of the modus operandi and not considered to be malicious, only practical. This needs to be kept in mind.
For a holiday, I’ll make an assumption that in the context of the holiday in China, it makes sense (even if it’s not done in Europe or the pacific or the US) - but this context of working full time, is very different.
Also done in a lot of places to stop super budgets tourists from doing a runner. Always a little worrying try to pre-pay or cash if you can.
I would not give my up passport, rather not attend the dodgy place.
growing up in hot and humid Singapore, we did not have mattress... slept on mat
I've lived in China and visit frequently. The Chinese culture is very energetic indeed and this is almost certainly why Chinese labor was imported. Hard fast work is part of the Chines ethos. The company responsible was probably counting on cultural and language isolation to obscure the bad conditions. The construction industry globally does not have a good record. I wonder if the Chinese workers thought thsy were getting a bad deal though?
What the Chinese have learned from history is that the winner takes all. If we lose, we will be the true slaves. Europe and the US were ahead for hundreds of years through war, you saw it, the technical blockade and the threat of sanctions, and you just had to accept their terms or live like the Cubans.
Hopefully, better living conditions will turn out for these workers. This video reminds me of the millions of homeless people living in the streets of America.
In America, if you’re homeless, you’ve chosen to be.
The difference is that they are not enslaved. They are just beaten down by the Billionaire class .
Coming from South East Asia, these are better conditions than most construction sites in this region. Asian are used to such living conditions or worse in the construction sector.
If movies are anything to go by, these living quarters appear to be better than life in Brazilian slums.
@@olderchin1558exactly. It's v difficult to explain to whytes their privileged positions...
@@James-v9j1j In America, if your are ignorant, you have chosen to be.
Quick, after appreciating China products this YTer has to report on a BBC article, a new channel that has a track record of honesty.
To be honest the working condition in brazil nationwide is slave like.
So imagine how bad this is if it even got noticed there?
@@frankcoffey
It got noticed because it's a Chinese consyruction company and Chinese workers. Not a local company.
i am from brasil são Paulo and that is not true.
Passport is the most important document for tourists abroad. You don’t understand how much trouble a lost passport can cause for you and your team. Keeping 163 passports in a safe place is really not a bad idea. What's more, these workers want to finish their work as quickly as possible so they can be reunited with their families. Since they do not leave the construction site very often, the passport is really a burden for the worker as he has to keep it safe to avoid being stolen, or eaten by a rat.
Just your comment about passports being eaten by rats shows how bad the conditions are in this place. Its Brazil, not China, you have to run the construction project by Brazilian labor and construction standards, not Chinese standards.
Then maybe ALL their food should also be locked away to protect it from "rats"? WTF is wrong with you? Very sick mind, is all I can say.
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors in the video at 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' ? 😂
@@crosslink1493 where u keep ur passport and money? in your belong bags? not worry it got stolen?
or let the company keep them safe for u?
@LivingLonger pasting your same rebuttal comment a thousand times in the comments does not make you more believable. It sounds like a bot of the Chinese government commenting...
Hi buddy, I am Brazilian, live in this country and yes, I confirm this is thuth, largely showed on TV, rádio and etc...
As a Brazilian,
can you tell me IF the Factory they are building.... WILL have BRAZILIANS Working there?
Or will the Factory still be run by Chinese workers afterward?
Back in the 90's, I was living in Peru, a Chinese company had purchased an iron producing mine, which they renamed to "Shougan Hierro Peru" in the Peruvian city of Pisco. They brought thousands of Chinese people in ships and had them living in quarters like the ones you showed. They were paid in rice bowls and rode bikes to the work sites. Word was back then that they used to be farmers in China.
I thought that had changed.... guess not. I have Chinese friends who live well, even better than in the West. I am thinking, maybe, in the farmland, they still lack behind. They told me that they need passports to live in the city. Any feedback on this?
To finish my story, the Peruvian government stepped in and had the Chinese workers shipped back to China and replaced them with Peruvian workers.
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors at video 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' 😂
I can’t tell how grateful I am that you made this video. Massive respect and congratulations to you my friend.
Isn’t that the condition of foreign workers working in Singapore as well.
Bro shocked that slave conditions exist in a country with actual slavery 😂
America has slavery, too.
There is no slavery in China. The Uyghur stuff is just overblown nonsense by the media.
@@JeDxDeVu They have slavery by proxy. And now, every race gets to play.
Think the modern workers should stay in 5-star hotels then.
@@elephantintheroom5678 But not officially. ;) China officially use forced labor for convicts. That's one of The reasons of cheap prices.
Thanks for reporting on this as well as the frank response. Please stay on top of this to the best of your ability.
@4:15 - "conditions were brutal" while showing a video of a typical worksite camp/dorm
我都懒得去翻译英文了，这一个建筑公司的员工已经出来发言了，他们的每月合同收入是13000人民币，每天工作8小时，他们已经发表声明证明了，他们是已经有当地居住身份证，公司也没有没收他们的护照，是统一管理保护护照也是正常操作，这视频是巴西本地非政府组织包括黑社会不满意没有招收当地劳动力去单于工作，联合当地非官方媒体做出来的的，因为对比他们当地这是一个非常高的收入，所有他们有意干扰工程的正常进行，同时在没有任何可靠信息的背景下有意抹黑比亚迪为另一个目的。
Viking covering this story validates his fairness and without biases.
- haha….one virtue story for every 99 propaganda stories! Lol
@@NoiserToo Most of what is he saying about Chinese EVs surpassing the Western legacy autos are true. I used to think he must be sponsored by the Chinese government. But this story pretty much invalidates that theory. He could have just ignored it and not talk about it.
Mr. Viking couldn't help himself and still made a lot of excuses.
@ - somewhat true, I think Sam is feeling the heat from western pushback and he’s deflecting a bit for one episode. Next week he will be all giddy again over German layoffs. I want him to be fair and balanced in All of his reporting.
Congratulations on the increasing success of your channel. It's well deserved.
I am brazilian, my country criminalize work. This is never a "Slave", but exist a criminal court to accuse who creates jobs here. Its a shame how Brazil manage this issue. Its a LIE.
U're clear headed.
I agree but as a brazilian too, I think BYD should be able to make a better example and I am a pro-brics enthusiast.
@@maheus3451 Agreed
It looks much better than the condition in China. It's common that sleep on the wood panel in hot summer if there is no AC.
Well, there is an AC, just watch closely.
Salary holback is common in China across all jobs. In China companies use it to keep people working when the conditions would cause them to quit because if you quit the company keeps the money. This can be up to three months pay. It seems like worker exploration is common for them.
what did you see when the camera man walk into another room? did the beds cover with mattress protectors in the video at 2:02 ? 😆 Did you call the video shown at 3:18 raw foods as dirty foods? 😆what a 'Shocking Slave-Like conditions' ? 😂
tell me where you think those worker keep their money/passport safe?
@@jetli740is that an excuse?
The BBC, a very well known flagship of the true and justice, specialy when China is the matter.
Good for you for standing up and speaking on behalf of the workers being abused. I just subscribed to your channel.
Appreciate you subscribing!
Thank you for reporting this - sometimes had wondered if you were a bit too favouring China - this post restores my faith.
FYI Sam, China is NOT selling EVs in Mexico, that are 99% ICE. And I won't be surprised if they turn out to have 60,000 mile engines in them, please correct me if I'm being unreasonable on this point.
where are the cap to fuel up? if those EV are ice car?
@@jetli740 I think you are referencing Sam's stock video sequences. There are 14 new brands on the street in Mexico, 30% of all new cars this year. There are virtually zero public chargers in Mexico. 60% of GM cars (all ICE) are made in China by SAIC. I hope this helps. Use AI to easily verify.
People needs to know that it's not BYD that does this. It's the construction companies that BYD contracted for that did this. Same logic as how you should go after Foxconn, the one that actually manufacture Apple product than going after Apple. Lots of times all these companies don't actually know the management of their contractors just from the outside.
Very nicely expressed regarding BYD's misconduct. Warmest compliments. Thank you, sir! :)
in china people dont sleep on matresses. they have some special matress that is as hard as wood, literally...hard wood like. As a foreigner i cant but...thats how they are used to. So really nothing shocking.
Well Said ..! Good Man ..!
Democracy, human rights
and rule of law.
Byd is sooooooo efficient, VW and EU industry has really trouble catching up with EVs - right Sam?
BYD started as a battery company that then built cars around said batteries. The others are the other way around, trying to shoehorn EV tech into legacy chassis.
That’s not BYD, that’s a Chinese construction company
It's not even BYD that built the factory. It's the construction company that BYD contracted for
I don’t think that BYD will do such stupid things with their workers… subcontractors may do… I met Chinese workers in frankfurt for building Chinese garden… they are free and lived in normal conditions…
Thank you for the unbiased news, Sam. Great value!!!
Glad you liked it!
Jai Hind. We Indians must be always vigilant to prevent such working conditions of scam centres and BYD in Myanmar, Laos, Philippines, Brazil and China etc. to become a New normal for our Indian construction and industrial workers. We know for instance that Indian construction workers' working conditions at construction sites in the Middle East Gulf region are not ideal but authorities had normally turned a blind eye.
If the workers have no complaint on their living conditions, it is not Brazil local government's business.
So if you're not caught doing something wrong, you're not doing something wrong? Why not just do it correctly the first time?
Absolute nonsense and awful excuse for companies to behave however they want. "What's the problem we just abuse them, they didn't complain". 🥴
@@cidie1 this is free for the company provided the accommodation. If the worker want to have a better condition, they can rent a house by their money. However, the worker wants to save their money! It is their wish!
@@dadadadadada1828 company has to provide accommodation as per law
The foreign labor workers in Taiwan (Pinoys, Viet, Indo) also have their passports held either by the factories or by their agents. It's pretty normal. Nothing wrong with that.
I haven't been this shocked since I wired my knackers up to the 220v socket. I mean, WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT IT?
Sam, unions in australia gave us the 8 hour day and 40 hour week - that means they also gave us the weekends and so much more. That's not to say that unions are 100% good but there are many things people take for granted that are due to unions.
Shame on BYD. What is the point of making so much money when you treat workers so badly. Shame on you, horrible company.
Your way of thinking, along with most of those responding, reflects a developed country mindset without delving into the circumstances of the country in question. Remember, this is happening in a developing country. I’m sure the workers are not being forced to work at that company. If they are not happy, they can look for another job... if there are any. So, having jobs with such poor conditions is already a great help for them. Remember, social security there (if it exists) is certainly not like in Australia. While it's not ideal, that is the choice available to them. If companies are forced to provide conditions and salaries like those in developed countries, then those companies will not be willing to invest in developing countries like Brazil, resulting in the people of those countries not getting jobs and remaining perpetually underdeveloped. If you feel disturbed by the conditions they are experiencing, why not organize a donation of mattresses for them? Perhaps with $10, you could buy one mattress to give to them. But don't be surprised if those mattresses are sold once they receive them and the money is used for other things. Welcome to the third world country, and let's be grateful to live in Australia.
Good on you for calling em out
Thank you Sam , I greatly enjoyed & respect your videos
My pleasure!
Three points I want to make:
1. The construction company is most likely awarded the contract by BYD to build their factory. So it is important to draw a distinction between the construction company and BYD. This is like Apple and the companies contracted to make iPhones. Let's see what BYD's response to this is (if everything is found to be true).
2. To be fair, a lot of Chinese people (mainly from rural backgrounds) prefer sleeping without mattresses. Different strokes different folks. I saw an air conditioner in the video so heat may not be a factor. And I don't think a $20 mattress is what the company is trying to save on a multi-million (billion?) dollar project.
3. Living conditions may not be up to Brazilian labor standards but how about the authorities interview the workers and ask them if they feel mistreated.
Thank you for your baseless speculation. Completely unhelpful.
@@AdamOHalloran You have nothing to add to the conversation but yet you feel the need to make some useless noise.
@@888nicklim %60 of their wages were not being paid. Are you fucking kidding me? How do you defend this
I had work training about labor trafficking and unfortunately sounds nearly identical to the example story used in the training. A big factor or clue specifically mentioned by the training was restriction of access to passports. And withheld wages as well as contract termination fees to the worker. All of these I believe are listed as human rights abuses. I hope that BYD chooses to pay very careful attention from now on and tries to do the right thing. Great products but there's absolutely no need for any of this. There's a difference between accelerating progress and cutting corners. They can have dangerous unforseen consequences and leave people suffering. My prayers for all affected. Unfortunately even today this continues to be an all too common issue among supply chains.
This is precisely why I will not only buy a Car that is Union Made to support American Manufacturing, but suppor tthe workers & their familes right to earn a living wage, while companies exploit them to make billions. Please reconsider your view on Unions Sam. I've worked for one for nearly 30 years, and not only are wages better, but benefits as well !
I am right there with you BUT American car companies should then be made to make affordable cars. Notice that when Hillary lost, the car companies quickly got rid of the "compliance cars", and went right back to only making giant ships on wheels. GM, for example, cancelled every affordable car they made.
Sounds like Tesla and X in USA where staff reported sleeping in offices.😂😂😂😂😂
people said this channel is pro-China, he just report truth.
He is pro Chinese cars. Now he just condemned the 'harsh' working condition of a Chinese company.
Noticed in the kitchen there were boxes and boxes of vegetables and eggs. At least these slave workers have plenty to eat. 😅😅😅
2-3 years ago, I see he was pro BYD. Now I see he is pro Xpeng and Zeekr. So I understand why people see him as a pro China man.
Something like this happened some time ago where workers were paid their full wages every two weeks. When they finish their work and return to China, some workers have empty pockets. Where did the money go? Casinos, red light districts. The wives came to the company to complain and demand compensation. This is indeed a good thing, leaving some money for workers to be paid in full when they return to their families. .
Then should we also withhold profits from the rich owners to be sure they don't mis-spend their profits? Funny how only the poor have THEIR money controlled!
Where have you been living for the past 20-30 years??? This honestly came as a shock to you?
Looking at the world through green tinted glasses gives you a wonderful view .
Do you know if the local poor Brazilian's living conditions is worse than the worker?
The dorm doesn't look that bad at all. Lots of people in China don't like mattresses. There is no confirmation at all, not unless you interview the workers.
100% agreed this story has too many hole in it.....
Yeah and who cares if you need to wake up 90 minutes early, just so everyone can use the bathroom before work?
I love Aussies. Tell it like it is big man! Of course they know/knew. We all know what the conditions are for workers in their home country.
Maybe this is one reason BYD can produce cars so cheaply. How many other Chinese BYD workers in China are also treated this way?
Undoubtedly many. Sam’s pro-Chinese push meets reality.
these people are not involved with the production, they are construction workers.
This is very common in Asia. I mean all over South Asia South East Asia. Construction companies are the worst abusers of worker conditions and sometimes involves human trafficking's.
Congrats mate! God bless you and your family for showing the truth!
Hey want to reconsider buying a Zeekr man? Do you know the human cost how it was built?
Well done sam . Very important
It is actually better conditioned than what I had when studying my college degree 40 years ago in China
If even Reuters run story saying that "BYD contractor denies 'slavery-like conditions' claims by Brazilian authorities' I think there is reason to doubt this story. Brazil is a country where they imprisoned the president on false charges.
Friend, I inform you that you are wrong. The president of Brazil was arrested with lots of evidence of corruption. And he was released by the judiciary, which is as corrupt as the president.
Its false.
Friend, I inform you that you are wrong. The president of Brazil was arrested with lots of evidence of corruption. And he was released by the judiciary, which is as corrupt as the president.
I think someone would need to show evidence of how the conditions do not equate to modern slavery, to suggest the claims are inaccurate.
Fair Sam, thanks for reporting it, I trust you did your homework.
Cheers, glad you appreciate it!
Here in Algeria Chinese construction companies did win lots of bids in the early 2000's, and we discovered that most "workers" they brought up were actually prisoners in China who had shorter sentences if they worked in these harsh conditions.
If so, you got a good deal but, there's lots of wild rumors.
In Southern China, people sleep on wooden boards with a thin grass mat on it. It’s seen as a healthier bed than Western style mattresses.
huh... maybe the chinese are cheap for a reason?...
Good reporting. Thanks. We want good priced and good quality products, but the workers should also be treated respectfully and be paid reasonable wages, be in in Brazil, China, Australia, USA, etc. I know it's naive to expect that to just happen, but reporting like this helps bring it to the forefront and hopefully make things better for those workers.
Sam the truth is you can’t cut costs at the rates we see for these firms without taking advantage of workers. We need to face into this thing and call it out. It’s obscene
northeast Brazil is among the poorest regions in Brazil - the median monthly income there is