Hello people. Here is one thing that got me worried these days.
It's a fact that many Chinese business owners in CV are slaving our brothers and sisters who work for them. In some cases they don't even let the workers use the bathrooms of their facilities. can u believe it?
Those workers are going for a strike in February . It is true and it has appeared on the papers here. I got this text from a blog and hope you understand Portuguese.

Quote:

É isso mesmo! Os caboverdianos têm um novo "slavemaster" - o chinês. Esses imigrantes chegaram a nossa terra e montaram o seu negócio de exploração. Adivinhem quem são os explorados. Quem? É claro que são caboverdianos. Num artigo publicado recentemente pelo Jornal de Cabo Verde (Nº 17), pode-se ler os maus tratos que os trabalhadores dessas lojas recebem por parte dos "patrões". Entre esses maus tratos contam-se: salário baixo (em média 6.000$00/mês = $80 USD/month), péssimas condições de trabalho, não têm direito a feriados, carga horária excessiva, injúrias e direito a despedimento em caso de greve. Convém realçar aqui que esses trabalhadores são jovens entre os 18 a 25 anos que após concluirem o liceu entram para o mundo do trabalho como forma de combater a pobreza. Como é que um PDM pode permitir isso? Só este PDM! Os chineses alegam a falta de legislação sobre salário mínimo no país, como justificativa para atribuirem o salário que quiserem aos trabalhadores. Então governo! Onde estás!? A nossa dívida para com a China é tão alta ao ponto de nos tornarmos escravos para a saldar? No mês de Fevereiro os trabalhadores vão recorrer a uma greve. As reinvindicações são: regularização da carga horária, inserção dos trabalhadores na previdência social, melhoria salarial, proibição dos trabalhos durante os feriados, melhoria nas condições de higiene e é claro, mais respeito e consideração para os trabalhadores. CABOVERDIANO apoia esses trabalhadores, nossos irmãos.E tu? Vais ficar sentado, de braços cruzados a assistir?

This text comes from the blog

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Let's discuss this matter, please. And if u can, visit the latest blog to know more what's going on on CV.

Peace to y'all.

Slave labor you say? What jobs would they have if the Chinese were not there. So they going on strike? Did we have the right to strike when Pide was there? Conditions of labor can't use the toilet?
Does it bother any one that China is a communist country?
From what I found out and saw when I was in Cabo verde 2years ago the Chinese government did a lot of building in Praia,Santiago.

From what I was told that China has made many contributions in Cabo Verde.

I don't know about their business practice but the CV'S I spoke with did not seem to have a problem they were glad to have a job,maybe things have changed. Please keep us informed. Well at least now with a democracy people have the right to complain.

Slave labor seems a bit strong.
We know that slave labor was a practice before independence,Please tell us more any one else have something to say on the subject? United States does big Business with China.
Thank you for that input.
Manu Salah

Ok Salah...If u can find me a better word to call it, i reject that one (slavery). I'm gonna tell it to ya again. Get to know the conditions they work. And it is not said by me, but by the UNIONS that represent those workers and that already made reunions between the employers and the "Direcção Geral de Trabalho". And those meetings resulted in nothing, because our government can't find a minimum salary value to set (this is the main reason the Chinese advocate for their cause). So here goes the conditions they work.

- They are discriminated and disrespected

- They earn 6,000 "CV escudos" a month, not a week (not dollars, just in case u instantly read "dollars" after some zeros) = $80 USD/month. Every month you get 6,000 escudos to go do ya thing (i bet you spend that in a club when u come here in holiday, in one night)

-They can't use the bathrooms on their own work (they have to ask for a license to go outside and pay 10 escudos to use a public bathroom. Put those 10 escudos x times to pee - a month. Then subtract the result from the monthly salary)

-They have no holidays (feriados, in Portuguese) and don't get extra money for extra working hours.

-No right to strike (last year, many who did it got thrown out - Unions are still fighting those cases)

- No INSURANCE (i guess they don't need hamm. They are just Cape Verdeans, who cares? Not you, i guess.)

- Although they have to stand the whole day at work, at the end of the day when the stores close, they have to clean the store, too.
That makes them part of the cleaning team i guess (you do that at ya work hamm!), a NO COST cleaning team.

Listen I addressed this here cause i think other people will feel sorry that their families and friends or at least fellow Cape Verdeans are in this situation. I am with these workers. No need to convince none.
Just cause the Chinese government give us help don't make us their slaves, ok!? If u still thanking them cause of the arms and training they gave the Amilcar Cabral party (PAIGC), thank Cabral before for having me standing here as a freed mind defending his sons against the NEW COLONIALISTS a.k.a Chinese employers.

And there is more. But this doesn't make part of the workers problems. These Chinese business owners sell toxic products on their stores.
A good example of this is the several "tooth paste" that they had to take out of their shelves cause the ADECO (Associação para Defesa do Consumidor) chased them to do so, cause it had a toxic substance that causes cancer. ADECO got to know that through a cabo emigrant who alarmed about it, and it got confirmed. Imagine how many toxic products they have in the stores and we don't know because we don't have a product control policy in this state. Your child don't have to wash his mouth with those tooth paste i guess. I Thank ADECO mine neither.
Although they sell cheap things(which more poor people can buy at low costs) doesn't mean is good, and although they give them a labor don't mean they are being fair paying them that amount and treating them like dogs.
They are students who just finished high school (from 18 to 25 years old) that their families can't pay their studies overseas and that try to work to help make things better at home. Can u show some respect for them, at least standing where you SHOULD!?
Enough said man...i sold my fish bro, not trying to convince none, just informing. Do whatever you conscience lead you to. I'm cool with mine.
Just in case you think I'm attacking your government PAICV, know I'm not. Cause i don't give a shizzle about any political party (That include your MPD, UCID, PCD, and them all). I'm committed to the truth, broda. Just to that. Till death.
Check this images of the newspaper "jornal de cabo verde" I photographed with my phone.

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G. Silva,

Since you're a journalist, I'd like to let you know that you're welcome to send us any articles about this or other issues that happens in Cape Verde for publications.
If you don't feel comfortable to be named as their author, we won't disclose your name.

Thank you for having the guts to bring this issue to the general audience.

FORCV management

Thank YOU "FORCV.com" for creating this space where we can all come and agree or disagree with eachother. I will do whatever i can to help people have a better understanding of what life is and costs here in CV.
I don't mind bringing articles here if it's for this good cause.
Don't worry, if they are not mine i will quote the sources. I'm used to let my sources be known, when i am allowed to do that.
It's a pleasure to do that and i hope more Capeverdeans come here and discuss this matter or at least let us know their opinion.
Once more, thank you! Thank you.

G. Silva you are not attacking my government my government is here in the USA I am a citizen here not in Cabo Verde.

I am sure that with the democracy and freedom you will be able to resolve this problem,the power belongs in the hands of the people.

Power to the people!

I am sure that you may have a gripe in terms of the working conditions and it is good that you have a union I support unions;but I will say this there are many things in Cabo verde that need to be done and to be corrected but that is also very true in every country with poor people and in the USA we among the poor also have our problems with our government and our demoracy. Do you know we have many homeless people here in the streets and it gets cold here in the winter. People begging for food don't have proper health care. We have at least 2 million people her in jail triple many times of the population in Cabo verde. Man things are bad all over my brother. I am praying for all of you in Cabo Verde.

The question for me is how does a country like Cabo verde resolve all of it's problems when in fact their resources are very limited every thing can not be done at one time.
For your information I don't drink and I don't go to night clubs and I don't smoke i can not afford those bad and evil vices

I can complain about many things right here. The streets are not paved with gold as some may have thought any recent immigrant from Cabo Verde here will tell you that. I am happy that you can complain and maybe while you say you don't belong to any political party maybe the union should be more involved and the group of people who get into office will satisify your needs. I don't vote in Cabo verde.

I don't live in Cabo verde I have visited as of two year ago. I know there are many problems what can I say.

People in Brava are complaining that they don't have good transportation that the hospital is limited.On every Island there are complaints about one thing or another. How would you propose all of this gets done.

I know some people who are busting their humps trying to do what they can. Well at least you have a forum to bring your grievance my man,but facts can always be made to be false on either side. But I am with you friend I hope with sacrifice that we can do better.

Perhaps some times in your writings you can give some thing positive some of the good things that are going on. We would like to hear that also
Are there any good things to talk about my brother. From Cabo verde you seem to be doing alright you have a computer you must be in a different class. So tell me again what Island you live on and as a jounalist do you get a salary.How do you earn your bread & Butter?

Please keep us informed.
Thank you for your kindness.
Ps You speak very good english have you been to the USA or do you live here now I am confused. A word like shizzle that gives you away my man
Manu

Ok Salah i get your point.
i might not know everything about USA, but you would get surprised how well informed i am of that country you live in, and that i never seen.
I'm glad you got to know some things about CV when you was here (2 years ago, just to say). When i come with my concerns here is to let the capeverdeans living in USA informed of what is really happening here in the time it does happen so they can act in time too. And not say....ooh i din't know, if i knew by then, you see.

I'm not gonna come in here and tell y'all tha i had a good lunch, i'd rather tell that someone didn't had lunch and that we should all help him get his food instead of letting him beg for ours everyday. Yes i have good news too. That was my first topic here, if i'm not wrong, cause i contribute with comments wherever i think they are useful. You do too, i guess. But the thing is you can't come in here and make it look like i just came to bring controversy, cause if that's the kind of understanding you have i'd rather let people be ignorant and go on with my life. But that's not me. i wanna help and i hope people help me help, instead of trying to have a "tete-a-tete avec moi" everytime i post.

I ain't trying to take your spot in the forum as the wisest or whatever .I'm just a regular dude with thoughts. And i consider you no different or you would be the next Barak Obama and would not be here bothering about us in this forum.
Well, i am a journalist, i work in a national radio station here in CV among other contributions to the media. I never state the name of my radio station cause i don't wanna take advantage of that name (wich is not small here) to get 2 my point. I want to tell the truth to people who wanna hear, that's all. Do ya research and contradict me.
I don't go to clubs either my friend. And when i said you, could be me or whoever that is on a holyday. I apreciate that you don't do that, cause that's positive.

Quote:

From Cabo verde you seem to be doing alright you have a computer you must be in a different class. So tell me again what Island you live on and as a jounalist do you get a salary.How do you earn your bread & Butter? Please keep us informed. Thank you for your kindness. Ps You speak very good english have you been to the USA or do you live here now I am confused. A word like shizzle that gives you away my man

Sorry if i sound harsh, but i see no point in being discussing why i came with the topic. that is what is concerning me now. tomorrow is another thing. I wanna share the concerns with CVerdeans that's it.

My bread and butter get baked in the Radio as i told you. Informing people and working on the first independent radio of CV. I can't state my income and i think is unpolite to ask that from me. But it is not astonomical and it doesen't reach 30.000 CV escudos. I can just give you that clue. Don't worry i am not the next Gilles Filliantrault trying to go undercover.

I have a computer wish i had to make a loan to get it 2 years ago, and pay it back every month from my salary. I was born and Raised in Ribeira Bote (First "zona Libertada") of my island São Vicente.
My family reminisce, one side from Santo Antão and one side from São Nicolau. I also have family in Santiago, so im a melting pot. A true Cabo.
My english (as you may notice) i got to know it through hiphop wich guided me to search my roots and learn about my history and society.
Despite being a journalist i was doing a hiphop program on the radio for 6 years, wich everywhere the CV youth can tell you they heard it. Ask DJ lefty in US about me. He will tell you. Ask Tem blessed from The movement and from Busted Fro, he will tell you. Cause i wasn't just playing songs. I gave people a space to speak for 6 years.

Of course i have good news. Here is one. From a press conference i went on monday and that i posted in my blog:

Quote:

O Campeão Mundial de triplo Salto, Nelson Évora, está em São Vicente. A vinda do atleta a ilha do seu pai, surge no âmbito de um projecto em conjunto com a Associação dos Bombeiros Profissionais de Portugal. O projecto tinha como objectivo angariar livros e materiais escolares para crianças e escolas da ilha. Hoje a tarde, numa conferência de imprensa, ele mostrou-se muito satisfeito em estar aqui e elogiou o acolhimento. Na passada quinta feira, dia 24, ele angariou 8.500 euros para as referidas crianças num leilão de objectos pessoais. Entre esses objectos estavam as sapatilhas e o fato que ele usou em Osaca, na competição em que tornou-se campeão do mundo de triplo salto. Força Nelson! Cabo Verde orgulha-se de ti. From: Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

That guy is a world champion and he is giving back to the children, and is beautyful and yes, IT IS a positive news. I bring the news broda, wether they good or bad. But people must know. That's my goal. People gotta know. It's been an honour to chat with all y'all in the forum.
Thank you for making me exercise my freedom Salah.
Once more, i apreciate you honesty Salah. Let's think about the good and bad news togheter.
[/quote]

Hey Salah.
That was news for me, and as i can see, for lots of people here.
That i noticed it didn't made the news.
But maybe it made the news online on a sunday or saturday that i ddin't came online. who knows. As you may know i am not ALWAYS on top of things. I gotta take time of sometimes.But is curious that it was not well publicized, because that's not a normal visit, it's a visit of a Consul, anyway.
Maybe is because it was sponsored byt the GOV,hehehehe, they wanted it to go undercover. Hahahahhaa. I'm joking my friend. But i din't notice.
Do you know what was the purpose of the visit?
Last things i knew, broadcasted and read online (about USA/Capeverde)was the visit of Ramiro Mendes for the celebrationof São Vicente's day (jan.22nd), and another visit of a comission of USA. Maybe they were the comission but the news i read was not specific who were the commision people u see.
Thx for this. Abraço irmão!
A Luta continua sempre.

Ohhh i forgot. sorry. There is also some capeverdeans enterpreneurs that live in USA who came on a visit. They own this company called CABO and they wanna invest in several things. Among those things are Transports, Tourism, and Real Estate. Seem that they also wanna create the first Capeverdean Bank in USA. It made the news yesterday. Maybe Maria Mascarenhas came with them, who knows. Check it here:

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Peace my brothers and sisters.

Thank you G Silva. great info my man,we need to hear all of that because some of these things are kept hidden. We don't want to operate in the dark meaning not knowing the facts of reality & actuality.
I know sacrifices have to be made but we need to know who is wrong and who is right. Good & Evil is also in Cabo Verde. We just want to know the facts and the truth. Like we say all that glitters is not gold

My thought are these I am of the party for Cabo verde people it makes no difference who is in office,Right is right and wrong is wrong.

I have coined a saying:
"If it is wrong we will make it right;and if it's not right we will fix it".
(Manu Salah)
Say that in Kriolu.

If you send me your email we can get down on some real issues my brother i also have the spycam we could talk and see each other if you have that tech set up for it.
Thank you.
Manu Salah
At Lutta Continuna!



Ps.
Deus is our refuge and strength,an ever present help in trouble
Therefore we will not fear,through the earth give way and the
mountains fall into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar
and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah.

Read all of Psalm 46 & 47

Ku Fei nah Deus we will be victorious.

Selah

"If it is wrong we will make it right;and if it's not right we will fix it".
(Manu Salah)

in criol (or criolu):

"Si el tá errado nu tá fazel dretu; e Si el cá dretu no ta ramedial"
This is me trying to speak the criolu from santiago , so i invite someone from santiago to correct me, please.

"Se el ta errod, no te fazel dret; e Se el ca tiver dret no te cmodal"
That is a criol from São Vicente, sal, são Nicolau, Sintanton,etc.

Yeah my friend i will send you a mail one of these days.
But i have a difficulty here with webcam use. You know we have limited MB download here in CV? I bet you do. If not, ok! Lemme tell you.

The service i get from CVTelecom, wich is the most basic DSL service (and that only 10% or less of Cverdeans can get, imagine!)is 1000 MegaBites (MBs) a month for 3200$00.

Although it went down this year, cause it was 6.000 escudos a month for that same service (that reminds me of someone's salary), it is still expensive for a limited net service.

Well, on top of that, you pay 10 Escudos CV for each MB you download extra. I even stop checking hi5 and myspace sometimes because i have to save Mbs to chat on msn or to read my news. It's really boring.
Youtube? nah, don't f#C$ with that on CV if you wanna eat everymonth, or keep ya net service. Cause the Mbs go like water out of the pipes. Hehehehe.

Yeah my friend, this is the explanation i have to give everyone when they send me a video to check, a song to download or they wanna use webcam with me. So, i'm sorry, but i can't. Maybe we do it once but, just to celebrate out net friendship hammmm.. But it is a luxury to that in this situation. Unless i do it at work, my station, because i can use it more there, but i don't do it often cause i don't wanna abuse the powers on my hand.That's me.i like to get in and out, clean.

I hope is gonna get better. But, hey, that's how monopolies do, they suck as much as they can till the "freedom fighters" come.
This is a matter that needs to be posted as a topic in the forum. Cause it is vital to have net nowadays, because it makes a huge difference in ya social life. I think. At least with me it did.

Let me try in my Kriolu and see how it comes out.

Se Star thoutu nu ta fazail dreightu se kha sta dreightu nu ta kompol.
Does that make any sense man. I know the spelling is not right but that is by sound not correct grama. Fogo Ku Jha Brava
Help me out with this Ok. This is what I told President Pires that one time in Washington DC

It is good salah.
Like i said, criol can change from place to place in CV but you did a good sentence. Although i would spell it different, like you see up in my last post,when u say that i think every criol would understand you.
Speaking in Pedro Pires, did you fellas cheked my last topic:
Revelations of aa guy who lead the 2001 presidential election fraud.
Check it here

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and let's chat about it.

Every day i thank God the day i came in this forum.
It is helping me find my roots and sharp my personality.
Sometimes you know a lot but you don't know you know it.
Sometimes you think you know a lot but the next man comes and show you the real light. Both these situations happened to me in this forum.
So i apreciate everybody's contribution here.
Salah, good point man. that's the way to go.
No pintchá c'força moss!