Francistown — There are currently about 30 Chinese shops in the City of Francistown selling a wide variety of goods ranging from clothes, blankets and footwear to electrical appliances.

On the surface of it, the advent of Chinese shops, which started in earnest less than a decade ago, was a welcome development.

This is because not only is the merchandise on offer affordable to the majority of Batswana, including those of modest means, but also because each shop employs an average of three Batswana, thus reducing unemployment.

It has, however, emerged that the shop assistants in the Chinese shops are extremely exploited - overworked and underpaid.

They are employed under the most dubious circumstances where there is no job security.Chinese shop assistants work seven days a week - from Monday to Friday - and an average 10 hours per day, except Saturdays and Sundays when the average is eight hours.

Public holidays are simply not recognized. There is overtime pay, contrary to Botswana labour laws and international norms.

History shows that 18th Century plantation slaves started work at 6am, had a mid-morning breakfast, and finished work at 6pm.

The slaves worked six-and-a-half days a week - working half a day on Saturdays and not working at all on Sundays. Public holidays such as Christmas and Easter were also days of rest. That means their bestiality notwithstanding, the slavers were considered to have sufficient humanity in them to deserve rest.

But at all the 20 Chinese shops visited here this week, the shop assistants said they were hired through recruitment agents. Strangely however, some of these agents are employees of security companies.

At the end of the month, the wages - which average P600 per person, are handed to the agent who pockets P100 and gives the balance to the worker.The fact that there is no job description or contract stipulating terms of employment gives the employer much leeway to abuse the employees. The shop assistants routinely offload goods from trucks.

Some of the employers prepare their lunch in the shop and make the workers wash the pots and dishes.

The Chinese allegedly spit and blow their noses on the floor and mess up the toilet, and make their shop assistants clean after them without sanitary gloves.

Going on leave for whatever purpose results in loss of earnings of between P16 and P25.Absence without leave, regardless of circumstances, often results in loss of employment.

On her way home from work, one shop assistant was attacked by hooligans who hurt her arm before fleeing with her money and cellphone.

In need of medical attention, she went to a clinic the following morning before going to work.

Despite all evidence in the form of a police report and an outpatient card, her wages were deducted. Another was fired for refusing to wash a towel brought from home by her Chinese employers. Another shop assistant doubles as a babysitter for the Chinese family that takes their baby with them to the shop every day.

When she objected, she was threatened with instant dismissal. Out of several Batswana who allegedly recruit workers for Chinese shops here, two could not be contacted because their mobile phones were off, while the others promised to call later but never did. One admitted recruiting workers for the Chinese but denied being paid from the workers' wages. Our efforts to solicit comment from the district and regional labour offices here and the Ministry of Labour in Gaborone were fruitless. The Chinese shop operators simply pleaded incomprehension of the English language.

But perhaps what is most disturbing is the absence of any indignation among the shop assistants who suffer such maltreatment.