Chinese companies have been important contractors of infrastructure projects in Tanzania since the country gained its independence in 1961, with projects such as the TAZARA railway. Cooperation between Tanzania and China began as friendly collaboration based on “proletarian internationalism.” The two countries now cooperate on the basis of the free market. With the change of the social system from socialism to capitalism and the arrival of foreign capital, many social institutions and worker protection systems in Tanzania were abandoned or collapsed. As a result, the working and living conditions of the masses deteriorated. The transition to capitalism and contemporary working conditions in Tanzania have been poorly researched. This Master’s thesis contributes to this problematic with an in-depth study of working conditions in infrastructure projects in Tanzania led by Chinese companies. In the research, I focus on working conditions in two Chinese projects, one in an urban environment and the other in a rural one. Through surveys and interviews with workers, researchers, and trade union representatives, I attempted to construct a comprehensive picture of the relationship between Tanzanian workers and Chinese employers. I support my conclusions with findings from other empirical studies, with an analysis of relevant laws, and with the role of relevant state institutions. Many of the findings of this empirical study (casualisation of labor relations, collapse of social security systems, the same pay for different jobs…) do not apply only to Chinese companies, since similar conclusions could be drawn for most other domestic and foreign construction companies operating in Tanzania.
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