‘Zimbabwe labour unions accuse Chinese firms of violations’ 15 June 2023

Tension is rising between workers’ unions and Chinese employers in Zimbabwe over alleged unfair labour practices by companies from the Asian country amid warnings that the situation could escalate to violent confrontation. Chinese companies have been investing heavily across Zimbabwe’s economic sectors over the past five years and they now have a huge presence in the mining, construction, energy and agriculture sectors. The Zimbabwe Investment Agency (Zida) in its 2022 annual report noted that China had become the southern African country’s biggest source of foreign direct investment as it accounted for 76.2 percent of the $3 billion projects approved between 2019 and June 2022…But unions say most Chinese employers have become notorious for labour violations such as torture, beatings, gender-based violence, low wages and a host of other labour violations.

So bad is the situation that one of the largest labour unions in Zimbabwe’s mining sector has since written to the government demanding an urgent audit of Chinese run mining operations in the country to diffuse what it described as an explosive situation. In a letter obtained by The EastAfrican, dated June 7, 2023, and addressed to the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavhima, the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) said it was fed up with reports of physical abuse and harassment of its members by Chinese employers. “Mine workers are kindly requesting for a national labour inspection across all mines in Zimbabwe big and small, particularly Chinese owned mines,” reads the ZIDAMWU letter. “Mine workers have reached a position that requires your intervention before the deteriorating working conditions and environment degenerate into chaos and labour unrest. “Mine workers are very much frustrated and agitating for action if there is no immediate solution to all the stated issues.”

…The ZCTU accused senior Zimbabwean government officials of shielding Chinese businesses that violated the country’s labour laws with impunity. “The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions notes with concern, the continued blatant disregard of labour laws by Chinese employers across all sectors of the economy despite concerted engagements at all levels on the matter over the years,” ZCTU acting president Nicholas Mazarura said at the time. “We have observed serious labour violations, torture, beatings, gender-based violence, underpayments and a host of other unfair labour practices one can think of have been perpetrated on locals by the Chinese. “Workers are constantly raising grievances to the effect that their rights were habitually violated as most of them are paid less than the stipulated industrial minimum wages or salaries.” According to the US State Department, 2022 Zimbabwe Country Report on Human Rights Practices released on March 31 this year said there were reports of abuses by management at certain enterprises and companies “owned by People’s Republic of China (PRC) parastatals and private PRC enterprises.”