History
2022: Incrimination of child labour
On July 22, 2022, it was established that the subsidiary Hyundai Alabama USA in the attracted minors aged about 12 years to work at the enterprise supplying parts for the assembly lines of the Korean automaker.
According to local law enforcement agencies, underage employees worked at a metal structure stamping facility operated by SMART Alabama.
SMART, which is listed in Hyundai's corporate filing as a majority unit, provides parts for a number of the most sought-after cars and SUVs manufactured by the automaker in Montgomery, its leading U.S. auto assembly plant.
SMART said in a post that the company complies with federal, state and local laws and that it "rejects any allegation that it intentionally employs persons not eligible for employment."
Company officials said it uses temporary employment agencies to hire staff and expects "such agencies to comply with the law when recruiting, hiring and distributing workers on company premises."
An Alabama Department of Labor spokesman said it would coordinate the investigation with the U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies.
 | Hyundai said in a statement that the company does not accept illegal employment practices in any Hyundai division. Our policies and procedures require compliance with all local, state and federal laws, the company said. |  |
Reuters became aware of the use of underage workers after one migrant child from Guatemala briefly disappeared from his family's home in February 2022.
The girl, who will turn 14 in July 2022 and her two brothers, aged 12 and 15, have been working at the plant since early 2022 and have not attended school, according to people familiar with their work. Despite the fact that under Alabama law, underage children aged 17 and under are required to attend school.
According to former and current employees and recruiters, these children, who are already enrolled in the school for the upcoming school semester, were among a large group of underage workers who took jobs with a Hyundai-owned supply company starting around 2019.
Some of those minors left school to work long shifts at the plant - a huge facility with a documented history of health and safety violations, including the risk of limb amputation, employees said.[1]
Notes
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