Práticas laborais chinesas em seis países da África Austral

The report identifies widespread labor rights violations by Chinese companies in Southern Africa, including low wages, unsafe working conditions, and unfair dismissals. It highlights a systemic failure of national governments to enforce labor laws, often exacerbated by corruption and political ties between Chinese investors and local elites. While some positive impacts on employment and infrastructure are noted, the study emphasizes the precarious nature of these jobs and the marginalization of trade unions.

• Across the six analyzed countries, employment conditions for African workers in Chinese firms are generally precarious, characterized by low wages, unpaid overtime, and unsafe work environments.
• There is a widespread lack of formal employment contracts, particularly for unskilled or casual workers, which leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and prevents them from claiming benefits like annual leave or maternity leave.
• Occupational health and safety standards are frequently ignored, especially in the mining sector, with reports of inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE), poor ventilation, and safety signage provided only in Chinese.
• Unfair dismissals without due process or disciplinary hearings are the primary source of labor conflicts in the studied regions.
• Trade unions often face intimidation, victimization, and restricted access to workplaces, while national-level union leadership is sometimes perceived as being compromised by Chinese interests.
• In Angola's fishing sector, specifically in Caota, workers report extreme abuses including physical aggression, lack of contracts, and wages below the legal minimum.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo's construction sector, workers experience significant wage disparities between local and Chinese staff and a lack of risk insurance.
• Lesotho's textile industry, dominated by Chinese and Taiwanese firms, is marked by a 'piece-rate' pay system that often leads to unpaid overtime and reports of gender-based sexual harassment used to maintain employment.
• In South Africa, while some mining operations align with national laws due to strong union oversight, there are still reports of poor safety and non-compliance with Social and Labour Plans (SLPs).
• Zambian copper mines operated by Chinese firms are accused of severe discrimination against local workers and failing to provide medical results of annual exams to hide occupational health damage.
• In Zimbabwe, Chinese mining companies leverage close ties with political and military elites to operate with impunity, ignoring labor and environmental laws.

APA

Carciotto, S., & Chikohomero, R. (2022). Práticas laborais chinesas em seis países da África Austral. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono-207-por.pdf

Chicago

Carciotto, Sergio, and Ringisai Chikohomero. Práticas laborais chinesas em seis países da África Austral. Institute for Security Studies, 2022. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono-207-por.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carciotto |first1=Sergio |last2=Chikohomero |first2=Ringisai |title=Práticas laborais chinesas em seis países da África Austral |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=August 2022 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono-207-por.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carciotto2022prticas, author = {Carciotto, Sergio and Chikohomero, Ringisai}, title = {{Práticas laborais chinesas em seis países da África Austral}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono-207-por.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }