Shipyard Workers Allege Racism and Abuse at Major French Shipbuilder

"The site manager was constantly yelling at us, we couldn’t even take a break to go to the toilet, he told us to urinate in water bottles. He also sent us to steal electrical cable from other boats. And then there were racist insults, we were called dirty Arabs or niggers, I’m outraged, we’re not dogs!" recounts Abdel*, a Spanish resident of Moroccan origin, who has been with Pine for seven years.

"We always had to work fast, faster, adds Babacar*. We endured all this because we need to work and feed our families... There’s no more work in Spain." For his part, the team leader accused denies all these accusations and denies everything. To make themselves heard, the workers sent their complaints to the company’s management in Spain as well as to the Labor Inspectorate. They are supported by the CGT.

According to these employees, they had a promise of employment until 2026 but were fired for daring to challenge these treatments. "That’s not true. (...) There has never been any problem, these are workers who cannot digest their dismissal. (...) Their contract, says a delegate, had simply expired," retorts the other union present at Pine in Saint-Nazaire, Force Ouvrière, which defends management.

In Spain, the Minister of Labor has already received the file. A Pine delegation is currently in Saint-Nazaire to conduct an internal investigation. For their part, the Chantiers de l’Atlantique are conducting hearings.

* First names modified*