The Labour Ministry did not respond to a detailed set of questions, but said the proceeding is ongoing and appeals by JBS are still under analysis. Labor inspectors ruled on August 6 that JBS was responsible for the working conditions of the ten employees, as it failed to conduct due diligence ensuring the contractor was treating them lawfully. JBS is one of Brazil's largest employers, with some 158,000 workers in the country, according to the company. Such a move is unprecedented in over two decades that a dedicated task force has been managing Brazil's slave labor blacklist, labor inspectors and legal experts told Reuters. The minister's move has caused "deep bewilderment and concern" among those who work directly on slave labor cases, said Renato Barbedo Futuro, the president of the association of federal labor inspectors in Rio Grande do Sul, in a public statement.