Cameroon Transporters’ Trade Unions Announce October 19 Strike

The Cameroon Transport Union General Confederation has announced that all transporters across the territory will be going on strike starting on October 19, 2023.

The decision was publicly announced in a letter signed on October 5, 2023, which was addressed to Joseph Dion Ngute, the Prime Minister and Head of Government.

The means of transportation involved include motorcycle taxis, tricycles, taxis, buses, and various other options.

According to the Confederation, the government has chosen to ignore their proposals, which were submitted with the intention of reducing the rate of road accidents in the country.

“We realize that the proposals to be addressed to you (see declaration in appendix) have not been taken into account to date, even though it would have avoided the mood swings mentioned above,” the letter read.

In the letter, the Confederation outlined some concerns in the transport sector in general, and in particular in the road and maritime transport sectors, which, according to them, have to be attended to.

They include; the signing of the extension of the collective agreement in the road goods sector and immediate respect of social security for all workers in the transport sector.

 -The systematic cessation of construction work on automatic tolls on inappropriate roads, allocation of funds to the construction of unfinished highways; and the repair of defective roads (Garona, Maroua, Kousseri).

– The closure of fictitious driving schools contributing to the phenomenon of fatal accidents on our roads and stopping the process of issuing driving licenses in categories “C-D-E” not respecting adequate standards.

– The revision of the prevention and road safety policy no longer brings the expected results.

– The categorical opposition to the issuance of professional driver identification badges by the government

– The categorical opposition to the process of identifying motorcycle taxis by the government without the involvement of trade unions, to mention a few.

 It went further to reiterate that the refusal of dialogue with union leaders by the Prime Minister and all members of the Government, ” implies the systematic stop in the different modes of transport.”

The Confederation has promised the Prime Minister that activities in the transport sector will only resume when the government has provided solutions to their worries.

Mimi Mefo Info