Report of Abuses at Chinese Mining Firm In Zambia Gets Initial Company Response

A report released by Human Rights Watch highlights worker rights and workplace safety problems at copper mines in the African nation of Zambia operated by a Chinese state-owned company, and includes an initial response from the company, a Human Rights Watch director told BNA Dec. 22.

The 130-page report, “You’ll Be Fired if You Refuse”: Labor Abuses in Zambia’s Chinese State-Owned Copper Mines, is the group’s first-ever report on worker rights and safety concerning a Chinese state-owned company operating in Africa.

It cites a number of specific problems associated with mining companies under the umbrella of China Non-Ferrous Metals ...