Chinese treat dogs better than workers

In an exclusive interview with The Zimbabwean on the side-lines of a round-table discussion organised by the Media Centre in the capital last week, , the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Workers Union (ZIDAWU), Cosmas Sunguro , bemoaned the high levels of inhumane treatment of workers by the Chinese.

“It’s painful that dogs are being treated much better than the workers. The Chinese at Anjin and Jinan are not providing food to workers during lunch time and if the food is provided, the workers are given sadza and cabbages without cooking oil.

“Dogs are given more than a kilogram of beef everyday yet workers rarely eat meat at these companies. There are also no medical aid facilities for the workers yet dogs at these companies are covered,” said Sunguro.

He said that accommodation for the workers was equally pathetic. “Workers are made to sleep in groups of eight to 10 people in a room and they are expected to bring their own blankets. The bunk beds they sleep on are stiff and on top of this, the workers are not given mosquito nets,” said Sunguro.

Chinese investors in Zimbabwe have come under fire for violating the country’s labour laws. There have been allegations of the Chinese beating up workers among many other violations of the workers’ rights. The round-table discussion sought to discuss the benefits accruing from the Chinese involvement in Zimbabwe’s extractive industries.

Sunguro said there was blatant disregard of workers’ rights at Chinese mining companies. “In some cases, workers are forced to slaughter dogs, donkeys as well as to skin snakes.

Sometimes, the workers are given Chinese food which is not good for them and in some cases, they would not even be knowing what kind of food they would be eating,” said Sunguro.

Participants at the discussion forum said there was need to put in place mechanisms that would ensure the Chinese operations in Zimbabwe are kept under check so that they adhere to the country’s constitutional provisions.

Workers at Anjin, a joint venture between the Chinese and Zimbabwean governments .have threatened to take legal action against their employers, whom they accuse of arbitrary non-renewal of contacts and late payments. Jinan and Anjin officials were not reachable for comment.