7 - Employment and Training

Summary

There are many controversies around employment practices in China-Africa cooperation. Based on solid data and in-depth interviews, this chapter examines the truth of labor issues and reasons behind them. The perception that Chinese firms hire mostly Chinese and do not bring jobs to Africans proves ungrounded. Hiring local workers is indeed eagerly desired by Chinese investors because it reduces administration burden and lowers labor costs. Surveys show that Africans make up 75–90% of the work force in Chinese firms on average. The wage levels in Chinese companies vary too, depending on skill and experience of employees. A prevailing view is that cultural differences cause tensions between Chinese and Africans with regard to “hard work” and “discipline.” The author's research suggests that the conflicting notion of work ethics is rather caused by evolving manners of social production and organization, presented in the form of time perception, during transformation from traditional agrarian societies to industrial capitalism. Using two case studies of Chinese investments in Tanzania and Ethiopia, the chapter illustrates how African workers’ attitudes and understanding are changed through concrete manufacturing operations and how the work styles of Chinese and Africans converge through interactive practices.