[ad_1]
By Sergio Carciotto and Ringisai Chikohomero*
Political and financial relationships between China and Africa have grown stronger over the previous 20 years. In 2000, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was established to assist industrial development and infrastructure connectivity and facilitate commerce. By the top of 2009, China had overtaken the United States as Africa’s largest buying and selling accomplice, and in 2020 the worth of China-Africa commerce totalled US$176 billion.
Trading relations are primarily based on the extraction of mineral sources and the import of manufactured items from China, but additionally on investments in key financial sectors resembling retail, finance and meals processing.
In 2013, China launched the Belt and Road Initiative, a diplomatic and political technique to advertise connectivity and buying and selling relations with the remainder of Asia, Europe and Africa by main debt-financed infrastructure tasks. In South Africa, for instance, China has invested in a number of tasks together with increasing Durban’s port services, setting up a coal-fired energy plant (Kusile) and establishing the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone in Limpopo.
Chinese-funded infrastructure tasks have raised controversies as a result of measurement of the loans contracted between 2000 and 2019 by African states value US$153 billion, and the chance of debt misery and defaults.
By the top of 2009, China had overtaken the United States as Africa’s largest buying and selling accomplice
Resources for infrastructure deals, also known as the ‘Angola mode’, have sparked criticism over debt sustainability points and left some African nations together with Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia with heavy money owed.
Furthermore, growing reliance on confidential contracts between Chinese lenders and African debtors has prevented residents from realizing the phrases and circumstances of those agreements and from holding their governments accountable.
The speedy development of Chinese-owned corporations working in Africa has additionally been a trigger for concern for teachers, practitioners and activists. Issues of lack of transparency and the environmental and labour circumstances and practices of Chinese corporations have been on the centre of those issues.
For instance, analysis highlighted the unsafe working circumstances in Chinese-run copper mining corporations in Zambia and the abusive labour practices amongst Chinese corporations in a number of different African nations.
Other comparative analysis has revealed variations and similarities between Chinese and non-Chinese corporations’ labour practices. Chinese labour practices in Africa are affected by quite a few variables. These embody home labour dynamics, the peculiar options of labour-intensive sectors extra vulnerable to informality, and the liberalisation of commerce, which has elevated the necessity to reduce labour and manufacturing prices, growing vulnerability within the office.
Trade unions have to be allowed to promote and recruit members with out the chance of being victimised
Working conditions and labour practices at Chinese companies in six Southern African countries – Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Africa, Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe – are the subject of a forthcoming Institute for Security Studies (ISS) report. The study focused on specific sectors in the six countries, including construction, mining, textiles and fisheries. The research employed mixed methods for data collection.
In-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to understand the experiences of African employees working for Chinese companies in the selected countries. The research also requested interviews with Chinese companies and government representatives in the respective countries.
It notes differences between sectors and companies in the six countries. However, in general, interviewees who spoke to ISS field researchers raised concerns about labour rights violations and precarious employment conditions impacting the relationships between workers and Chinese employers.
In particular, wages, especially for low-skilled workers, remain low – sometimes below the sector’s minimum wage. And in some cases, employers don’t compensate workers for all hours worked.
Non-compliance with occupational health and safety legislation and procedures was also raised as a concern, particularly in the mining sector. This ranged from the lack of inadequate protective clothing and visible labelling of machinery and buildings to poor lighting and ventilation and scant company training programmes on safety policies.
In Southern Africa, relationships between employers, trade unions and governments are plagued by intimidation
Most labour disputes concern the unfair dismissal of employees without following the disciplinary and dismissal process. This aspect was prevalent throughout all six countries. In Zimbabwe, Labour Department officials reported that labour matters were complicated due to the connections between Chinese companies and the Zimbabwean political and military elites. In Lesotho, remedies for unfair dismissal are lacking due to an inefficient and understaffed justice system and bribery.
The lack of justice and legal remedies for those who are unlawfully dismissed may have severe socio-economic implications. For example, the ISS research found that some Basotho men dismissed by Chinese textile factories may end up migrating to South Africa for greener pastures, while some women may become sex workers.
Given this background, trade unions can play a fundamental role in enforcing labour standards, addressing issues of non-compliance and ensuring safe working conditions and fair labour practices. However, in Southern Africa, relationships between employers, trade unions and governments are plagued by corruption and intimidation.
In the Angolan fishing industry, conflicting relationships between trade unions and the labour inspectorate have led to a situation of impunity for widespread labour abuses. In Zambia, participating in union activities is considered risky, while in the DRC trade unions are organised mainly by employers to discourage independent unions.
In African countries where trade unions have antagonistic relationships with political elites and their members are threatened or intimidated, it’s necessary to strengthen trade unions’ resources and ability to intervene to hold governments and employers accountable.
Furthermore, the right of workers to organise and associate in a labour union must be protected, and trade unions must be allowed to advertise and recruit members without the risk of being victimised.
African governments need to define strategic priorities and a common policy that can guide China-Africa relations. It’s the responsibility of states to create an environment where the rights of all workers are protected and ‘promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all,’ as stated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
*About the authors: Sergio Carciotto and Ringisai Chikohomero, Research Consultants, ISS Pretoria
Source: This article was published by ISS Today
[ad_2]
Source link
