Auto parts maker accused of using child labor

This week, federal officials accused a Korean auto parts company that supplies Hyundai and Kia of violating federal child labor laws at an Alabama plant.

The US Department of Labor filed a federal lawsuit Monday in Montgomery accusing SL Alabama of hiring workers under 16 at its Alexander City plant.

The lawsuit was accompanied by a proposed settlement. A company lawyer signed the consent decree in which the company agreed not to hire underage workers, to verify the age of workers hired through a recruitment agency and to terminate or penalize any official aware of the use of underage workers.

A federal judge has yet to sign the agreement.

The company’s website says the plant employs around 650 people and is a major manufacturer of headlights, combination taillights and side mirrors for Hyundai and Kia.

The lawsuit comes after a Reuters report accused the auto parts supplier of using child labor at a factory in Luverne, Alabama.

An email to the attorney representing SL Alabama was not immediately returned. Hyundai released a statement saying, “Hyundai does not tolerate illegal employment practices at any Hyundai entity. We have policies and procedures in place that require compliance with all local, state and federal laws.”