BY SIMON NDIVE KALLA
Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) Workers have insisted to embark on an industrial strike action billed to begin tomorrow October 12-15.
The strike action which promises to paralyse activities in all CDC plantations, Factories, mills and offices in South West and Littoral regions.
KNews learnt that, a meeting Presided by the CDC new Board Chairman, Hope Sona Ebai which held in CDC Board room in Bota Limbe, on Friday October 8, 2021 with Leaders of CDC workers Trade Unions present (CAAWOTU, FAWU, FINAAWU and SDEAPEM) Unanimously stood firm behind the CDC workers to exercise their fundamental rights to organise a four days strike action.
It should be noted that, In a join communique co-endorsed on Wednesday September 22, 2021 in Tiko, Four Trade Union Leaders, CAAWOTU, FINAAWU, FAWU and SDEAPEM endorsed and gave their total backing and support to the declaration of four days industrial strike action.
The President of CAAWOTU Gabriel Mbene Vefonge said the main aim of the strike action is, for government to alleviate and improve on the level conditions of CDC workers.
“The objective of this extraordinary congress of CAAWOTU is to examine the situation that CDC workers are going through for four years now, we have been to Yaounde since February 2021 in a tripartite meeting with the government and on the Thursday September, 9, 2021 we realised that we were moving round and round.
“Government invited us in that meeting to look for concrete solutions to the the problems facing the CDC and its workers, but when we reached there, we realised that the meetings were fruitless. That is why we had to call this extraordinary congress.” Gabriel Mbene explained.
It should be noted that a congress is the highest organ of a Trade Union. So, they decided to report back to the congress to take stock, and to decide on their way forward. “In February we gave a notice of a strike for four days, government with the introduction of the tripartite talk suspended it, we didn't call it off.
“I think that, now that the congress has given us the mandate for us to go through the four days strike, we are ready to go beyond it, because we need a political decision to be taken to save CDC, with its 22000 workers” Gabriel Mbene said.
He explained that In January 2021 they were given a notice in January early this year and they expected to have a notice for dialogue to be opened but was not the case.
They respected the principle of social dialogue.
And went to the table on February 2, 2021 and we have been on the table till September 9, 2021. “Look at the period we have respected our own engagement with the State.” Mbene lamented.
He added that for seven months the State have been dribbling them “We have been going to Yaounde. Look at all of us we have been moving to Yaounde, taking risk everyday on the road and we go to Yaounde, they keep turning us around. We come back and our workers are shouting at us and even stoning us that we are now eating soya in Yaounde, but we think that we have not been eating soya.” Mbene averred.
He added that they didn’t suspended the strike, because we were eating soya, but this time around, they are behind the workers because the workers have taking the powers in their own hands.
“They are the ones who have said that we are going on a strike. It is not the Presidents here, the Presidents sitting here are only listening to the voice of the workers.”
Quizzed if after four days strike, and the government is still silent what will be their way forward, he explained that, the resolution says if a political decision is not taken, they are giving the powers to all the Presidents to extend the period of the strike.
Mbene however called on workers to be calm until October 12, 2021. “We are going to cross the bridge when we get there. That is the message to the workers.” Gabriel Mbene stated.
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