About a thousand employees of Niger telecom company Sonitel demonstrated in Niamey Thursday calling for main shareholder China's ZTE to sever all ties with them because of "poor management".
Protesters marched in the streets of the capital before presenting a petition to government officials calling for the "immediate withdrawal" of ZTE from all Sonitel operations.
Chinese-Libyan consortium LAAICO-ZTE owns 51 percent of Sonitel, whose market value is estimated at 34.5 million euros (46 million dollars). The state holds a 45 percent stake, while its staff holds a 4 percent share.
The protesters called for those involved in embezzlement of company funds to be punished, after revelations uncovered by a recent parliamentary investigation. The inquiry gave the company three years to "resolve the situation."
Unions also allege the company failed to pay its 1000 employees in November and want a number of local company managers to resign.
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