Hyundai responds to reports of child labor at Alabama plant

Korean automaker Hyundai says it’s unaware of any evidence of child labor being used at its Alabama parts subsidiary. Smart Alabama is a unit of the Korean automaker. Reuters reported on Friday that the company employed immigrant workers as young as twelve years old. The story cited family members of three underage workers, as well as police, and former and current workers of the factory. The Smart facility supplies parts to Hyundai’s assembly plant in Montgomery, which produces the Santa Fe and Tucson SUVs, and Elantra sedan. The factory denied knowingly employing any underage workers. Hyundai sent a written response to Bloomberg news, saying it doesn’t tolerate illegal employment practices at any of its plants or subsidiaries. The reports came to light following the disappearance of a Guatemalan child in Alabama back in February. The youngster was later found safe in Georgia.