特威福德陶瓷：塞內加爾一家中國工廠的幻滅

這家中資公司於2019 年啟動，並於2020 年1 月由時任國家元首麥基·薩爾(Macky Sall) 大張旗鼓地揭幕，其投資額為550 億非洲法郎（8,300 萬歐元），旨在協助蒂耶斯地區減少青年失業率創造 1,500 個直接就業機會。但很快，失望就降臨了。

Cheikh, 31, who prefers to use 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 brimming with confidence. 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,” he explains.

31 歲的謝赫喜歡使用假名來保持匿名，他對五年前被塞內加爾辛迪亞的特威福德陶瓷公司聘為技術員的經歷有著美好的回憶。這位剛在達喀爾謝赫-安塔-迪奧普大學完成金融碩士學位的年輕人信心十足。他搬了進去，在磁磚工廠附近租了一間只有20平方公尺的小房間。 「這是我的第一份工作，我很高興能簽訂工作合同，」他解釋道。

Like him, many in the region believed 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.

像他一樣，該地區的許多人都相信這一點。這家中資公司於2019 年啟動，並於2020 年1 月由時任國家元首麥基·薩爾(Macky Sall) 大張旗鼓地揭幕，其投資額為550 億非洲法郎（8,300 萬歐元），旨在協助蒂耶斯地區減少青年失業率創造 1,500 個直接就業機會。但很快，失望就降臨了。

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.

每天，該公司的員工每十二個小時輪流到工作地點，通常沒有午休時間。有些是早上 7:30 開始輪換，有些是晚上 7:30 開始輪換，主管的獎金高達 200,000 非洲法郎（305 歐元）（包括風險、績效、資歷和洗衣獎金）。根據研究，塞內加爾的平均薪資在 10 萬非洲法郎（150 歐元）到 15 萬非洲法郎（228 歐元）之間變化。 「這是缺乏考慮，他們在剝削我們，」謝赫看著他的一堆工資單抱怨道。五年間，他本來可以享受120天的假期，但他只有40天的假期。

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.

除了延長工作時間外，還有許多員工形容為「不人道」的工作條件。 「直到幾週前，我們還沒有飲用水，」同樣選擇以假名出現的奧斯曼感到憤怒。

“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.

「也沒有個人防護裝備，例如用於切割瓷磚的鞋子、頭盔或手套，」他的一位同事補充道，他抬起褲腳，露出最近一次工作事故留下的傷疤。也必須指出的是，中國人虐待我們，他們像動物一樣對我們說話，他們把我們當嬰兒，有時還打架。

Almost 90% of employees have fixed-term contracts

近90%的員工簽訂了定期合約

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. »

勞工和社會安全監察長 Tene Gaye 對這些艱苦的工作條件記憶猶新：「在我 2019 年第一次訪問塞內加爾期間，塞內加爾的勞工標準沒有得到尊重。根據我當時的報告，我發出了一份通知，其中有29項不合規之處，包括沒有職業健康委員會、衛生或個人工作設備。 »

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. »

勞動監察員表示，合約的不穩定性質帶來了許多問題。據他介紹，近90%的員工簽訂的是定期合約（CDD）。正確的是：Twyford Ceramics 受益於投資法規的批准，該法規是投資和重大工程促進局發布的一份文件，該文件允許其偏離塞內加爾勞動法的某些原則，包括更新固定工資定期合約。塞內加爾民主工人聯盟財務主管阿卜杜·阿齊茲·西（Abdou Aziz Sy）表示：“通常是最高限額的兩倍，但這次批准提供了五年內無限續約的可能性。”國家為投資提供了許多優惠，但換來的卻是創造了非常不穩定和不體面的就業機會。 »

“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,” Inspector Tene Gaye supports. 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.

「我們坐在彈射座椅上，」謝赫擔心，他的固定期限合約為期五年，最初每三個月更新一次，然後每六個月更新一次，現在每年更新一次。 「有很多合約即將到期的人被秘密解僱，」督察特內·蓋伊表示支持。以2021年為例，有18人沒有同時續約。他們都剛加入一個工會。 » 該公司表示，這項立法破壞了塞內加爾通常保障的集體組織自由和工人代表權。事實上，從那時起，公司就沒有成立工會。

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 9th my 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.

儘管自2019年以來已經發生了變化，但仍需要進行許多調整，以確保瓷磚廠再次符合塞內加爾法規。 2024年，這也引起了新一屆當局的關注，今年3月當選的總統巴西魯·迪奧馬耶·法耶將在第九屆中非合作論壇之際首次訪華。 「我們收到了國家派來的審計員，這次是來自達喀爾，而不是來自蒂耶斯地區辦事處，」一名員工代表低聲說道。

Most recently, the International Finance Corporation, a private sector-focused subsidiary of the World

最近，國際金融公司（International Finance Corporation）是世界銀行的一家專注於私部門的子公司。