U.S. Department of Labor Sues Hyundai Over Child Labor Violations in Alabama Involving 13-Year-Old

May 31, 2024, 04:00 AM

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Co., an auto parts plant, and a labor recruiter over the illegal employment of child labor in Alabama. The lawsuit alleges that a 13-year-old girl worked up to 60 hours per week on a SMART assembly line at a supplier for Hyundai, forming sheet metal into auto body parts. This marks the first time the Department of Labor is holding a major company liable for child labor at a subsidiary. The Labor Department is seeking an order requiring the companies to relinquish profits related to the use of child labor.