"Ecuadoran workers accuse 'monster' Japanese company of exploitation," 10 December 2024

Ex-employees of a Japanese textile company in Ecuador told Tuesday of their dire living and working conditions, after the country's constitutional court ruled the firm kept its staff in a slave-like setting.

Some gave birth to children in unsanitary and overcrowded camps, while others were denied proper medical attention after work-related injuries, according to testimonies given at a news conference in Quito.

Justices last week ordered the company, Furukawa, to pay $120,000 to each of the 342 victims -- a total of around $41 million. It will also have to make a public apology to them...

He recalled a lack of medical attention on the plantations, where nine people died in work-related accidents...

Furukawa contested the constitutional court's decision, arguing that there were inconsistencies and asking for a downward revision of the financial compensation ordered, which it deemed impossible to comply with.