129th Labour Day

Workers demand salary raise, harmonization of retirement age
By Essan-Ekoninyam in Yaounde
Workers in Cameroon have celebrated Labour Day with a strong call for government to harmonise retirement age and also increase wages and pensions. The requests were contained in the speeches delivered by leaders of workers’ trade unions and on the inscriptions on the placards carried by workers as they marched passed along the May 20 Boulevard in Yaounde.
    The over 10 thousand workers who thronged at the celebration venue to participate at the annual event were clad in uniforms of different types and colours. The uniforms all had inscriptions about Labour Day.
    Some of the workers wore red shirts or had red arm bands which they said is a sign of the social war they have engaged with employers over poor working conditions.
    Speaking on the sidelines of the march pass at the May 20 Avenue, Amougou Zambo, president of the National Trade Union of Cameroonian workers CSTC, called on government and private employers to harmonise retirement ages to 60 years for all workers. He urged employers to also revalorize salaries to acceptable levels and increase pensions for retirees.

    “The pension paid to workers by the National Social Insurance Fund is to minimal. The amount should be increased if pensioners must survive,” Zambo said.
    For his part, Jean Mark Bikoko of the Public Sector Workers Trade Union CSP, also hammered on government to revalorize salaries of civil servants to the pre-1993 level and effect increments that meet the cost of living today.
    Bikoko wondered why some government workers should retire at 55 years while others go on retirement at 60 and some even 65 years. He said all workers are important to society and should be treated the same. Bikoko called for a harmonization of retirement age to 60 years for all workers.
    Other workers who spoke to this reporter complained of poor working conditions marked by absence of insurance cover for health, inadequate logistics, paltry incentives, no end-of-year gratifications among others.
    Responding to the multi-form demands made by the workers, the minister of Labour and Social Security, Gregoire Owona, assured of government’s commitment to the plight of all Cameroonian workers, saying efforts are being made to look into the problem.
    Owona enjoined especially workers of the informal sector to cultivate the spirit of social dialogue which he says can only breed peace, solidarity and harmony in the work environments.
    Above all minister Owona called on workers to demonstrate support for the soldiers on the battle front and show solidarity with victims of the war on Boko Haram.
    While overzealous men in uniform were busy maintaining law and order at the ceremonial grounds, some ambulant evangelists used the occasion to pray for the salvation of the Cameroonian worker and for God to intervene and save Cameroon from imminent catastrophe.