Strike has been going on for two weeks: according to national press, the proprietor of the company scheduled a work stoppage on November 1st. Friendship Tannery, an Ethiopian tannery owned by a Chinese group (with over 1,700 employees), has come to a standstill since last October 14, when strike began. Protests were triggered by a workplace injury: a 21-year-old worker had his hand cut off. Allegedly such accident has not been one isolated case, as 8 months ago another workman had both his limbs cut off because of a similar injury. Trade unions complain about working conditions, and blame the company for their negligence with regard to occupational safety measures and obsolete machinery. According to press report, allegedly they did not even escort the 21-year-old injured worker to hospital. He took a cab.
Ethiopian tannery (controlled by the Chinese) at a standstill as 1,700 employees go on strike after a worker had his hand cut off
