Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Brazil closes BYD factory for ‘slavery’ conditions uproar

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Brazilian authorities stopped the construction of a factory for the Chinese electric vehicle company BYD. They found that workers were living in terrible conditions, almost like slavery. More than 160 workers were rescued in Bahia, Brazil. The workers were treated badly and had their passports and pay kept by the construction company.

The factory was supposed to open by March 2025 and be BYD’s first electric vehicle plant outside of Asia. The workers, hired by Jinjiang Construction Brazil, had to stay in bad living conditions. They slept on beds without mattresses and had to share one bathroom with many others.

BYD said they cut ties with the company involved and want to follow Brazilian laws. They moved the affected workers to hotels and checked on their living conditions. BYD is a big electric vehicle maker, competing with Tesla. They are expanding in Brazil and plan to invest a lot of money there.


Vocabulary List:

  1. Conditions /kənˈdɪʃ.ənz/ (noun): The state or situation in which people live or work.
  2. Rescued /ˈrɛs.kjuːd/ (verb): Saved from a dangerous or distressing situation.
  3. Ties /taɪz/ (noun): Connections or relationships with someone or something.
  4. Affected /əˈfɛk.tɪd/ (adjective): Having been influenced or touched by something.
  5. Invest /ɪnˈvɛst/ (verb): To put money into something to earn a profit or achieve a result.
  6. Expanding /ɪkˈspænd.ɪŋ/ (verb): Increasing in size number or importance.

How much do you know?


Where were more than 160 workers rescued in Brazil for living in terrible conditions almost like slavery?
Sao Paulo
Bahia
Rio de Janeiro
Brasilia


What was the factory supposed to be for the Chinese electric vehicle company BYD?
First plant in Brazil
First plant in Asia
First plant in Europe
First plant in North America


Which construction company hired the workers living in bad conditions in Brazil?
BYD
Tata Group
Jinjiang Construction Brazil
Tesla


What did BYD do after the discovery of the workers' living conditions?
Cut ties with the workers
Retained the workers with improved conditions
Made them homeless
Ignored the situation


Which electric vehicle company is BYD competing with?
Ford
Toyota
Chevrolet
Tesla


What is BYD's plan regarding investments in Brazil?
Reduce investments
Withdraw from Brazil
Invest a lot of money
Suspend operations in Brazil


The workers were kept without their passports and pay by the construction company in Brazil.


The factory was scheduled to open by March 2025 and be BYD's first electric vehicle plant in Asia.


BYD is a small electric vehicle maker compared to Tesla.


BYD has no plans to expand in Brazil.


The affected workers in Brazil were moved to better living conditions by BYD.


The Brazilian authorities had no reason to stop the construction of the factory for BYD.


The factory for BYD was supposed to open by March 2025 in Brazil, and the workers were rescued in .


The workers hired by Jinjiang Construction Brazil lived in bad conditions and had to share one bathroom with many others in Brazil.


BYD plans to invest a lot of money in expanding operations in .


The workers rescued in Bahia were in living conditions almost like .


BYD cut ties with the construction company involved and the affected workers to hotels.


The affected workers slept on beds without mattresses in Brazil because of the construction company's conditions.

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