Brazil labor inspector fired for adding BYD to dirty list
Brazil fired its top labor inspector for adding BYD to a labor abuse registry. The dismissal follows claims of political interference in the inspection process.
The secretary of labor inspection in Brazil, Luiz Felipe Brandao de Mello, has been removed from his position following a dispute over the inclusion of the automaker BYD CO LTD-H on a national registry of companies linked to labor abuses. Sources familiar with the matter indicate that Mello was dismissed after disregarding an order from Labor Minister Luiz Marinho to exclude the company from the so-called dirty list.
The registry identifies employers accused of subjecting workers to conditions described by the government as similar to slavery. The dismissal, which was formalized in the official gazette on Monday, highlights growing tensions between the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and independent labor inspectors.
