U.S. Accuses Hyundai and Two Other Companies of Using Child Labor
U.S. Accuses Hyundai and Two Other Companies of Using Child Labor The New York Times
sdgtalks
The Labor Department Sues Hyundai Over Child Labor in Alabama
Summary
The Labor Department filed a lawsuit accusing Hyundai, one of its suppliers, and a staffing company of jointly employing a 13-year-old on an auto body parts assembly line in Alabama.
The Labor Department on Thursday sued Hyundai over the use of child labor in Alabama, holding the car manufacturer liable for the employment of children in its supply chain, including a 13-year-old girl who worked up to 60 hours per week making car parts.
In the suit, filed in a federal court in Montgomery, Ala., the department said Hyundai was responsible for the employment of children at a Smart Alabama factory in Luverne, Ala., which produces parts like body panels that are shipped to a Hyundai factory in Montgomery. The suit also claimed a staffing agency, Best Practice Service, recruited the children to work at the supplier’s plant.
In a statement, Hyundai said child labor was “not consistent with the standards and values we hold ourselves to as a company.” It added that the Labor Department used “an unprecedented legal theory that would unfairly hold Hyundai accountable for the actions of its suppliers.”
Smart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives of Best Practice Service, which is no longer in business, could not be reached for comment.
From July 2021 to February 2022, a 13-year-old girl worked at the Smart plant, where she was recruited to work by Best Practice Service, the suit claimed. The suit also contended that two other children were employed at the plant.
The Labor Department said that through the employment of children at its supplier, Hyundai was in violation of the “hot goods” provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which prevents the interstate commerce of goods “that were produced in violation of the minimum wage, overtime or child labor provisions” of that law.
“Companies cannot escape liability by blaming suppliers or staffing companies for child labor violations when they are in fact also employers themselves,” said Seema Nanda, the Labor Department’s chief legal officer, in a statement Thursday.
The suit comes after investigations by Reuters and The New York Times documented the use of child labor by the suppliers of car companies. In 2022, Reuters found that Smart Alabama had used child labor at its facility, and that Kia, which is part of the same South Korean conglomerate as Hyundai, had also used child labor in the South. A 2023 investigation by The Times found children employed at the suppliers of General Motors and Ford Motor.
Hyundai imports many of its vehicles from South Korea but has made big investments in factories in the South, spending nearly $8 billion on an electric vehicle plant in Georgia. The United Automobile Workers union has said it hopes to organize workers at Hyundai’s Montgomery plant.
Introduction
Suit Filed Against Hyundai
Hyundai’s Response
Details of Child Labor
Violation of Fair Labor Standards Act
Statement from the Labor Department
Previous Investigations
Hyundai’s Operations
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms. | Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group (according to the International Labor Organization definition of child labor) |
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
The issue highlighted in the article is the use of child labor in Hyundai’s supply chain. This issue is connected to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
The specific target under SDG 8 that can be identified based on the article’s content is Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
The article mentions the use of child labor in Hyundai’s supply chain, specifically a 13-year-old girl who worked up to 60 hours per week making car parts. This can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards Target 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group (according to the International Labor Organization definition of child labor).
4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labor in all its forms. | Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group (according to the International Labor Organization definition of child labor) |
Copyright: Dive into this article, curated with care by SDG Investors Inc. Our advanced AI technology searches through vast amounts of data to spotlight how we are all moving forward with the Sustainable Development Goals. While we own the rights to this content, we invite you to share it to help spread knowledge and spark action on the SDGs.
Fuente: nytimes.com
Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.
