Hyundai Subsidiary Used Child Labor At Alabama Factory

A subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. used child labor at a plant that supplies parts for the Korean automaker's assembly line in nearby Montgomery, Alabama, according to area police, the family of three underage workers, and eight former and current employees of the factory, Joshua Schneyer, Mica Rosenberg and Kristina Cooke reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: In certain cases, workers as young as 12 have recently been employed at a metal stamping business operated by SMART Alabama LLC.

In certain cases, workers as young as 12 have recently been employed at a metal stamping business operated by SMART Alabama LLC, according to these sources.

After Reuters first revealed its findings, Hyundai issued a statement denying the allegations "does not tolerate illegal employment practices. We have policies and procedures in place that require compliance with all local, state and federal laws."

SMART stated in a second statement that it complies with federal, state, and local rules and "denies any allegation that it knowingly employed anyone who is ineligible for employment."

The company stated that it relies on temporary employment agencies to fill positions and expects "these agencies to follow the law in recruiting, hiring, and placing workers on its premises."

SMART did not respond to specific queries regarding the workers mentioned in this article or the workplace scenarios they and other individuals familiar with the factory described.

SMART is listed by Hyundai in corporate papers as a majority-owned subsidiary and supplies parts for some of the automaker's most popular cars and SUVs assembled at its flagship US assembly facility in Montgomery,

Reuters learned of underage labor at the Hyundai-owned supplier, following the February disappearance of a Guatemalan migrant child from her family's home in Alabama.

According to those familiar with their employment, the daughter, who turns 14 this month, and her two brothers, aged 12 and 15, all worked at the plant earlier this year and were not attending school. In an interview with Reuters, their father, Pedro Tzi, validated these people's accounts.

Police in the Tzi family's adopted hometown of Enterprise also confirmed with Reuters that the child and her siblings worked at SMART.

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