Volkswagen ordered to pay $110 million in Brazil for slavery-like practices in the 1970s-80s involving hundreds of workers in Amazon jungle.
Slavery-Like Conditions Revealed
Volkswagen’s Brazilian subsidiary exploited hundreds of workers in the Amazon jungle during the 1970s and 1980s, forcing them to work under armed guard and threatening death for escape attempts. Workers reported that parts of their wages were stolen by guards while the company clear-cut rainforests illegally.
Legal Outcomes
The Brazil Labor Court found the company guilty of working in partnership with the military regime and fined it 165 million reals, equivalent to approximately $110 million. The fine includes the highest compensation for moral damage ever awarded in Brazil.
TV Documentary Update
Volkswagen announced it will file an appeal against the court’s decision, stating in a statement to ARD television that it respects the law, while acknowledging the workers’ suffering. The German automaker faces an additional requirement to publicly apologize to the workers and the Brazilian society, which was included in the court’s decision along with the financial penalty.
Source: Gazeta,
