Manifestations of forced labour in Senegal: as exemplified by the Société des salins du Sine-Saloum Kaolack 1943-1956

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Book chapter

Title:	Manifestations of forced labour in Senegal: as exemplified by the Société des salins du Sine-Saloum Kaolack 1943-1956
Author:	Fall, Babacar
Book title:	Forced Labour and Migration: Patterns of Movement within Africa
Year:	1989
Pages:	269-288
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Senegal France
Subjects:	colonialism forced labour salt industry
Abstract:	History of the Société des salins du Sine-Saloum, established to extract salt from the left bank of the Saloum in Senegal, concentrating particularly on problems of labour recruitment, and government efforts to overcome them dating from the war years, when salt was officially declared a strategic product. As work extracting salt was very unpleasant, the company found it difficult to attract labour to take advantage of the opportunity for increased markets offered by the war situation. From 1943, prison labour and conscripts were made available to the company, although this was viewed initially as a provisional measure. In order to provide a permanent work force of convict labour to the salt mines a penal camp was established at Kaolack in 1944. Despite France's advocacy of free labour in West Africa the camp at Kaolack continued until 1956 when the salt work required a smaller labour force as a result of mechanization. In conclusion, State intervention on behalf of the Société des salins du Sine-Saloum may be considered instrumental in delaying the mechanization of salt extraction operations. Notes, ref.