Zambia, children as breadwinners

“I work everyday after I knock off from school, I do different types of piece works and digging pits is one of them. I get six thousand kwacha for each pit that I dig and sometimes I have to share it with other children who help me in carrying the sand out of the pit when I am tired…it makes me sad when other children and myself have to work like slaves in order for us to survive while other children have an opportunity to go to school without working for anything…”.

Zambia: Chinese company fires 500 workers after strike

Here is an interesting story about globalisation and labour in Africa, where Chinese companies are more and more investing, violating core labour standards and arising labour and social conflict: a Chinese copper plant in Zambia has dismissed more than 500 construction workers after they rioted and beat up Chinese workers in protest at poor wages, a company spokesperson said. It’s worth considering that Zambia has ratified more ILO core conventions about the right to organise, bargaining and strike than China.