Vietnamese workers at Chinese factory in Serbia cry for help

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press

ZRENJANIN, Serbia (AP) — Vietnamese workers helping construct the first Chinese car tire factory in Europe say they’re shivering in barracks without heat, going hungry and stuck in a plainland in Serbia because their passports have been taken by their Chinese employer. The Associated Press visited the construction site in northern Serbia where some 500 of the workers are living in harsh conditions. Human rights groups warn the workers could be victims of human trafficking or even slavery. China’s Shandong Linglong Tire Co. denies the company is responsible for the workers, blaming subcontractors and job agencies in Vietnam. It promised to return the documents it said were taken to stamp work permits. Serbian officials spoke against “inhumane” conditions but downplayed Chinese responsibility.