Snapshot: Bangde Construction SARL is a subcontracting company operating under Sicomines, a major copper-cobalt joint venture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Sicomines is jointly owned by Sinohydro Corp, China Railway Group, and the Congolese government. It oversees several strategic mine sites in Mutshatsha, Lualaba Province, including the Dikuluwe Mine, Mashamba West Mine. In 2022, a legal case was brought against Bangde Construction SARL by the Centre d’Appui Juridico-Judiciaire (CAJJ) on behalf of workers, exposing the company’s alleged refusal to allow the election of trade union delegates, in violation of the Congolese Labour Code. The case unfolded within the broader context of the Sicomines project. Originally framed as a resource-for-infrastructure agreement, the project has since drawn criticism over transparency issues, unfulfilled infrastructure commitments, and imbalanced benefits for the DRC. In response, the government renegotiated the deal in 2024, securing increased infrastructure commitments. That same year, Bangde Construction was restructured into a majority Congolese-owned company, in line with national efforts to boost local ownership in the mining sector.

In 2022, the Centre d’Aide Juridico-Judiciaire (CAJJ) filed a legal complaint on behalf of workers against Bangde Construction SARL. The case challenged Bangde’s refusal to allow the election of trade union delegates, in clear violation of Congolese labour law. The company justified its action by citing Covid-19 restrictions and a government stance on union elections—reasons it continued to rely on even after the government had formally authorised elections in early 2022. CAJJ called on the Public Prosecutor to order an investigation by the Labour Inspectorate into the company’s practices. The inspection confirmed violations of the labour code.

In May 2023 following the inspection report and sustained legal pressure, Bangde Construction organised union delegate elections.