Eighty members of the FNSCBA-CGT, a BWI French affiliate, on 12 June 2025 demonstrated in front of an Eqiom cement plant undergoing major renovation  in Lumbres, Nord Pas-de-Calais, in the North of France to denounce the outrageous working and living conditions of Chinese workers employed in the said workplace. They called for the full enforcement of French labour legislation and transparency regarding the Chinese workers’ wages and working conditions.

Mathieu Dougoud, General Secretary of FNSCBA- CGT said:  "The first time we went there was after being contacted by civil society people who thought that the Chinese workers were working too many days and too many hours at Eqiom." He continued: "We cannot remain silent on the exploitation of foreign workers. It is important to stand up to defend these workers, their jobs and our national collective agreements. We only urge Eqiom to provide the documents certifying that these Chinese workers are indeed under the aegis of the French labour code."

The project reportedly aims to renovate the cement plant by building a low-carbon kiln for Eqiom cement plant, which belongs to the Irish cement group CRH. It seeks to reduce CO2 emissions, water use and energy consumption. It has obtained more than €200 million public money from Europe.

To carry out the renovation, Eqiom signed a contract with the Chinese company CBMI, which employed 250 Chinese workers. However, it was discovered that the said workers live in a campsite near the cement plant, sleeping in tents where they seem to be overcrowded. They also work twelve hours a day, six days a week.

FNSCBA-CGT has visited the workers several times. The union has pointed out that CRH refuses to be transparent on their working conditions, particularly on their wages. Eqiom asserted that it respects French law.

The project raised serious concerns about the violation of workers’ rights. It also showed the limits of certain major "green" operations, which supposedly for “reasons of expertise” can no longer be built by Europeans.

BWI has urged its trade union affiliate in Ireland to act in solidarity and intervene with the CRH Group.