The meeting to take place at the conference room of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security follows threats of strike action in the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC.

On January 30, 2021, Madam Galega née Njiwam Anyangwe, Technical Adviser No. 2 in the Ministry of Labor and Social Security addressed a letter to Gabriel Mbene Vefonge, National President of CAAWOTU, informing him about the concertation meeting convened by the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Gregoire Owona.

CAAWOTU had declared a Collective Labor Dispute from Tuesday the 2nd of February to Friday the 5th of February 2021 in all CDC Estates, Factories, Mills, and Establishments to voice out the grievances of CDC workers.

CAAWOTU suspends planned strike

Meeting at an extraordinary National Council meeting in Tiko Sunday, January 31, 2021, CAAWOTU suspended the planned strike action.

CAAWOTU President Mbene Vefonge said the suspension is to allow for dialogue in view of finding solutions to the expressed grievances of CDC workers.

The CAAWOTU National Executive Council, standing committee, delegates, and other partner trade unions were part of Sunday's meeting.

Mbene Vefonge said the meeting reviewed Ministerial Correspondence No. 00000139 / n / MINTSS / SG / ADRP / SSCS of 28 January, which is a response to the Union's January 12 ^th letter addressed to the Minister, calling for industrial action by workers of the corporation from February 2 to February 5, 2021.

According to Ministerial Correspondence, the State reaffirmed its commitment to revamp the ailing corporation that has been hard hit by the armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions.

The State renewed its readiness to maintain the working staff, continuously pay workers' monthly salary, as well as provide forces of law and order to protect the corporation, its goods, and personnel from attacks.

"Since the start of 2018, some 20 workers have been murdered in their line of duty while others have had their hands or fingers chopped off with machetes. Workers have not received their monthly salaries for close to 30 months and over 10,000 workers have been placed on technical leave, not leaving out retired workers who are yet to receive their retirement benefits, "Mbene said.

During Sunday's extraordinary session, CAAWOTU resolved to empower the leadership and the entire committee members to go into negotiations with the state in respect to the CDC workers' grievances and for the CAAWOTU National Council to suspend the industrial action that was earlier scheduled to begin today.

At the tripartite meeting in Yaoundé today, the trade union leaders believe that they will be able to trash out the sticky issues between the management of CDC and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. It is hoped that the tripartite “will bring tangible solutions to the financial and emotional hardship that most of the workers are going through or and save the corporation”.

It should be recalled that the Fako Divisional Delegate of Delegation of Labor and Social Security had earlier scheduled another tripartite meeting in Limbe on Wednesday, January 27. CAAWOTU boycotted the meeting, stating that the Delegate was “not competent” to convene such a meeting.

CDC GM appeals for calm

In a press release dated January 21, 2021, the General Manager of the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, called on workers to remain calm.

He wrote: “The General Manager of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), Mr. Franklin Ngoni Njie, informs the general public that workers of the CDC have not declared any intention to organize an indefinite strike action over unpaid salaries.

“A communique from the National Executive Committee of the Cameroon Agricultural and Allied Workers’ Trade union known by its acronym CAAWOTU declared a collective labor dispute in respect of the CDC workers and also announced the organization of industrial action in the first four days of February in case the competent state authorities fail to organize a Tripartite Meeting.

“While the management of the CDC recognizes the pivotal role of CAAWOTU in improving the terms and conditions of workers and giving workers a voice on national and policy debates via collective bargaining, it also believes in social dialogue in arriving at lasting solutions.

“CDC has involuntarily entered into Force Majeure situation instigated by the ongoing crisis rocking the South West and North West Regions which has negatively affected the activities of the Corporation. So far, Government is assisting the CDC to pay salaries/wages.

“General management calls on the entire workforce to remain calm and continue to work collaboratively towards CDC's common goal, which is resuming work.”