Chinese company in Uruguay faces labor accusations
Photo: Administración Nacional de Usinas y Trasmisiones Eléctricas (UTE) Uruguay.
The China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), responsible for constructing the 500-kilovolt Transmission Ring Closure in Uruguay, has been criminally accused of labor violations and safety breaches in its project for the state-owned UTE. The 365-kilometer infrastructure employs 200 Uruguayan workers and 500 foreign workers, primarily Chinese and Ecuadorian, across Tacuarembó, Salto, Paysandú, and Cerro Largo.
The National Construction Workers’ Union (Sunca) filed a complaint following the death of a Chinese worker, Jun Sheng, 53, in a traffic accident on June 7, 2024. The union is demanding the approval of a national law on workplace safety and the creation of a specialized labor accident prosecutor’s office.
Authorities are investigating forced labor due to overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions for foreign workers and violations of the Corporate Criminal Liability Law. In August and September 2024, the General Labor Inspection shut down three company facilities that housed 80 workers in degrading conditions.
The complaint highlights severe issues such as container dormitories, lack of hygiene and potable water, exposed electrical wiring, and no refrigeration for food storage. Additionally, some workers were forced to hand over their holiday bonuses to site managers after receiving payments through external networks instead of the official state agency.
The union emphasizes that workers face isolation, language barriers, and excessive work hours, making them highly vulnerable to exploitation. It also reports that some workers suffered from hunger and dehydration due to lack of food and drinking water supplies.
This case raises concerns about the responsibility of foreign companies in workplace safety and underscores the need for greater government oversight in large-scale infrastructure projects in Uruguay.
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