Workers suffer at Sino Hydro Corporation:
Hwange expansion project [Attention Minister of Energy and the Chinese Embassy]
Background
Sino Hydro Cooperation is an organization that is contracted by HESCO to run Hwange unit 7&8 for six years. During these six years of operation, Sino Hydro will also be involved in a skills transfer program.
Zimbabwean workers have been recruited to work alongside Chinese workers for this period. China as a country is our all-weather friend, and our friendship with China dates back to the colonial era.
The sons and daughters of the soil sought help from China to fight the colonial regime. It is of paramount importance to maintain this historical relationship and ensure that it flourishes.
I am greatly concerned that currently, the majority of Zimbabweans are no longer benefiting from the relationship between China and Zimbabwe. China is now acting like a colonial master.
Workers at Hwange power station stage three are unhappy about the working environment. As a patriot, it pains me to hear people say, “It’s better to work for a Boer, a British or a German than to work for a Chinese.”
The authorities should be aware that people are finding it difficult to understand the relevance and logic behind our relationship with China.
People ask questions every day, such as “What kind of investors are these, is the government aware of this, do our politicians really care about us, why are they subjecting us to such inhumane treatment by the so-called all-weather friends?” It is important for every concerned patriotic Zimbabwean to take the issue of Chinese involvement seriously.
Those who have worked for a Chinese organization can attest that there is nothing positive to report. This is not beneficial for the future of our country. Due to the importance of the Skills Transfer project, our government needs to address the grievances of Zimbabwean staff at Sino Hydro.
These workers are the ones who will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the plant once the Chinese have left. Given the issues that will be outlined below, it will be challenging to retain skilled and experienced manpower at the end of the six years’ skills transfer period.
Workers are feeling demoralized and hopeless, constantly seeking better opportunities elsewhere. The high number of workers leaving the organization within just one year is concerning.
Burning issues
1. Accommodation
People were given contracts clearly stating that they would be provided with accommodation. Now, a year has passed, and people are still not accommodated, with no allowances given to cover that.
Workers feel cheated because many accepted the offer due to the promised accommodation, only to spend a year without any.
2. Salaries and job grading
The way the organization grades workers is haphazard and not up to standard. Salaries are very poor. There are certain salary ranges expected in the energy industry, which Sino Hydro does not follow.
Salaries at Sino Hydro are too low compared to other organizations in the same industry. The salaries do not take into consideration the economic hardships faced by workers.
Sino Management is not open to discussing this issue. Skilled and experienced personnel are receiving salaries and grades that are meant for general laborers. Individuals with the same qualifications, experience, responsibilities, and job descriptions are being graded differently without a satisfactory explanation.
This disparity will lead to a brain drain and will jeopardize the skills transfer program, impacting the future generation of electricity at the Hwange Expansion Project.
3. Harrasment and victimization
Workers are living in fear. Many Chinese workers are racist; they do not respect Zimbabweans. Whenever they speak to a Zimbabwean, their tone is always harsh. Workers are scolded and shamed for no apparent reason. In short, Chinese are treating workers as slaves. Zimbabweans are suffering harassment and being treated as second-class citizens.
We do not expect local workers to be subjected to racism, harassment, and unfair treatment in their own country.
4. Communication problem
Chinese workers were assigned to share knowledge with locals. However, the majority of them are not proficient in the English language. It is challenging to spend the entire day with a paymaster or mentor with whom you cannot communicate.
One is expected to learn from someone with whom they cannot communicate. In some cases, there is no communication at all, yet we are expected to be well-informed after six years.
Additionally, a lot of manuals are in Chinese, a lot of documents are in Chinese. Zimbabweans are forced to use a social media platform called WeChat.
Critical information is sent on this platform in Chinese and Zimbabwean workers need to translate every message. Sometimes the meaning is lost along the way. Given this situation, how can we expect locals to grasp the technology in a timely manner?
5. Unfair labor practice
Workers are punished without hearings. Money is deducted from workers’ salaries for unjustifiable reasons. There are many instances where money is deducted without prior communication about a certain Chinese work culture employees should follow. In some cases, a worker may be fined an amount that exceeds their salary.
Workers are also dismissed without following legal due process. Personal conflicts with any Chinese employee can lead to termination of contract. Short contracts are provided as a means of control. Employees who are required to work beyond regular hours do not receive overtime pay.
Clear policy documents for implementing rules and regulations are lacking. Policies are often only mentioned when an employee is about to be penalized.
Conclusion
There are many issues that need attention. However, I have decided to just highlight these few as an eye-opener to the public and to the powers that be.
This is not just for the welfare of workers at SinoHydro but for the future of our beloved country’s skills database and the future of electricity generation.
This also has a bearing on the longstanding relationship between China and Zimbabwe, which is being eroded every day due to the way Chinese organizations treat Zimbabwean workers across the country.
In addition, this also paints a negative picture of our esteemed government since Chinese investors are crucial to our economy.
Having such tainted organizations as our hope for investment spells doom for our country. In conclusion, I urge the government and all responsible authorities to assert their authority and bring order to these Chinese-run organizations.
Zimbabweans deserve a peaceful and organized work environment. Zimbabweans look forward to a continuous, smooth supply of electricity as guaranteed by a proper skills transfer program.
Yours disgruntled sufferer under our all weather friends, Chinese investors.
