The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor Co., a South Korean auto giant, as well as an auto parts plant and a recruiting company. This action comes after the discovery of a 13-year-old girl who was found to be working illegally on an assembly line in Alabama.
According to the Labor Department, the decision was made in response to the discovery of a 13-year-old girl who was found working long hours on a SMART assembly line in Luverne, Alabama. The investigation revealed that she was operating machines that transformed sheet metal into auto body parts, working for up to 50 to 60 hours per week. This occurred over a span of six to seven months, during which she missed attending middle school. The facility in question supplies parts to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.
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“It is truly shocking to think that a 13-year-old is working on an assembly line in the United States of America,” expressed Jessica Looman, the administrator of the DOL’s wage and hour division.
SMART informed the staffing firm that they did not want two employees to return to the facility because of their appearance and other physical characteristics, which gave the impression that they were underage, according to the complaint.
According to a news release, Seema Nanda, solicitor of the Labor Department, emphasized that companies cannot evade responsibility for child labor violations by shifting the blame onto suppliers or staffing companies. It is important to recognize that these companies are also employers themselves.
Hyundai expressed its disappointment with the Labor Department’s complaint, stating that it abides by U.S. labor law.
Hyundai stated that the use of child labor and violation of labor laws goes against their company’s standards and values. They conducted a comprehensive investigation over several months and implemented immediate and extensive measures to address the issue. The company provided all relevant information to the U.S. Department of Labor in an attempt to resolve the matter, while also explaining why there was no legal basis to hold them liable in the given circumstances.
“We are disappointed that the Labor Department is attempting to apply a legal theory that would unfairly place the responsibility on Hyundai for the actions of its suppliers. This sets a concerning precedent not only for us, but for other automotive companies and manufacturers,” the company expressed their concern.
Hyundai took immediate action in response to the complaint by severing ties with the staffing agencies mentioned. Furthermore, the company conducted a comprehensive review of its U.S. supplier network and implemented stricter workplace standards. To ensure compliance with labor laws, Hyundai now mandates its Alabama suppliers to undergo independently verified audits of their operations.
This is the first instance where the Labor Department has taken legal action against a prominent company for allegedly breaching child labor laws through a subcontractor. The lawsuit follows an investigation by the government and a Reuters report that exposed the extensive and unlawful utilization of migrant child laborers by Hyundai’s suppliers in Alabama.
According to a 2022 report by Reuters, it was revealed that children as young as 12 were employed by a Hyundai subsidiary and various other parts suppliers for the company in the Southern state.
According to a wire service report, there were allegations of underaged workers at Smart following the incident in February 2022 when a Guatemalan migrant child went missing from her family’s home in Alabama. Sources revealed that the girl, who was 13 years old, along with her two brothers aged 12 and 15, were employed at the plant and not attending school during that year.
In fiscal 2023, the Labor Department conducted investigations into 955 cases of child labor violations, impacting a total of 5,792 children across the United States. Shockingly, among those cases, 502 children were found to be employed in hazardous occupations, in clear violation of safety standards. This highlights the pressing need for stronger measures to protect the welfare and rights of our young workforce.
Last summer, tragic incidents occurred where young workers experienced severe and even fatal injuries while working. For instance, Michael Schuls, a 16-year-old, lost his life after being pulled into machinery at a sawmill in Wisconsin. Similarly, another 16-year-old worker lost their life after getting caught in a machine at a poultry plant in Mississippi. These incidents highlight the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of minors in the workplace.
