Psychosocial Experience of the Termination of the Employment Contract by the Dismissed Workers of the Mining Companies of Lubumbashi

This article highlights the issue of the psychosocial experience of the termination of the employment contract by employees of mining companies in Lubumbashi. It relies on semi-structured interviews with 32 employees of MMG, who suffered the termination of employment contract, which we met at the ONEM (National Employment Office) / Lubumbashi, which are at looking for another job. The results show that dismissed employees describe this situation as bad luck, and a social humiliation, which is the experience of an injury in their self-esteem. Because this situation has caused the alteration of the self-image for each employee, and has consequences on their physical and psychological health. Key words: Psychosocial experience, work breakdown and dismissed workers.