Cheikh, 31, who wishes to appear under a false name to maintain his anonymity, has fond memories of being hired as a technician by Twyford Ceramics in Sindia, Senegal, five years ago. The young man, who has just completed a master’s degree in finance at the Cheikh-Anta-Diop University in Dakar, is confident. He moved in and rented a small room of just 20 square metres near the tile factory. “It was my first job, I was happy to have a work contract”explains.
Like him, many in the region believe in it. Launched in 2019 but inaugurated with great fanfare by the then Head of State, Macky Sall, in January 2020, the Chinese-owned company and its 55 billion CFA francs (83 million euros) invested were supposed to enable the Thiès region to reduce youth unemployment by creating 1,500 direct jobs. But disillusionment quickly set in.
Every day, the company’s employees take turns at their workplaces every twelve hours, often without a break for lunch. Some start their rotation at 7:30 a.m., others at 7:30 p.m. and up to 200,000 CFA francs (305 euros) for supervisors (risk, performance, seniority and laundry bonuses included). According to studies, the average salary in Senegal varies between 100,000 CFA francs (150 euros) and 150,000 CFA francs (228 euros). “It is a lack of consideration, they are exploiting us”Cheikh complains, looking at the pile of his pay slips. Five years during which he would have been entitled to 120 days’ leave, but he only had 40 days’ leave.
In addition to extended working hours, there are working conditions described as: “inhuman” by many employees. “Until a few weeks ago we had no drinking water”Ousmane, who also chose to appear under a false name, was outraged.. “Nor personal protective equipment, such as shoes, helmets or gloves for cutting tiles, adds one of his colleagues, lifting the hem of his trousers to show a scar from a recent work accident. It must also be said that the Chinese mistreat us, they talk to us like animals, they infantilize us and sometimes they come to blows.
Almost 90% of employees have fixed-term contracts
The Inspector General of Labour and Social Security, Tene Gaye, remembers these difficult working conditions well: “During my first visit in 2019, Senegalese labour standards were not respected. According to my report at the time, I issued a notice with 29 points of non-compliance, including the absence of an occupational health committee, hygiene or individual work equipment. »
According to the labour inspector, the precarious nature of contracts poses many problems. According to him, nearly 90% of employees are on fixed-term contracts (CDD). And rightly so: Twyford Ceramics benefits from the approval of the investment code, a document issued by the Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Major Works, which allows it to deviate from certain principles of labour law in Senegal, including the renewal of fixed-term contracts. “Normally it is double the maximum, but this approval gives the possibility of infinite renewal over five years.says Abdou Aziz Sy, treasurer of the Democratic Union of Workers of Senegal. The State has done many favours for investment, but in exchange this has created very precarious and indecent jobs. »
“We are in ejection seats”Cheikh is concerned, with a fixed-term contract for five years, renewable initially every three months, then every six months and now every year. “There were many covert dismissals of people who were at the end of their contracts.supports Inspector Tene Gaye. In 2021, for example, the contracts of 18 people were not renewed at the same time. They had all just joined a union. » The company says that this legislation undermines the freedom of collective organisation and representation of workers, which are normally guaranteed in Senegal. In fact, no union has been formed in the company since then.
Although changes have been made since 2019, many adjustments still need to be made to ensure that the tile factory is once again compliant with Senegalese regulations. In 2024, it also attracted the attention of the new authorities, whose president elected in March, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, is making his first trip to China on the occasion of the 9thmy forum for China-Africa cooperation. “We have received auditors sent by the State, this time from Dakar and not from the regional office in Thiès”whispers a staff representative.
Most recently, the International Finance Corporation, a private sector-focused subsidiary of the World Bank, is also said to have launched an audit as a creditor of the Twyford Ceramics factory in Sindia. The Chinese group seems to be concerned about this. “A week ago, management informed teams that employees could no longer exceed 48 hours of work per week.The same staff representative said that this is in line with Senegalese regulations which do not provide for more than ten hours of work per day, unless they are exempt from labour inspection. Which Twyford doesn’t have. » The measure, however, results in salary cuts. When contacted, the company’s management did not respond to requests for comment. World.
Trade unionist Abdou Aziz Sy agrees: “These practices are not limited to Chinese companies, although we can say that they often go unnoticed.” Remember that if Chinese factories have a responsibility, the Senegalese state also has a large part of it, due to its permissiveness.
