Hyundai hasn’t had the best luck with its suppliers this year. Earlier in 2024, the automaker was sued by the government over reports that a supplier had used child labor, and now, one of the company's suppliers is pulling back on its prison labor programs in Alabama after reports that some workers felt like they had no choice but to participate.

 

The automaker said it had let go of dozens of inmates working through a program run by the Alabama Department of Corrections. The state’s prison labor program has been equated to forced labor by some, and the move to let workers go comes after a New York Times report that showed some inmates felt they had no choice but to work for Ju-Young, a Hyundai supplier participating in the work program.