CDC Acknowledges Workers’ Grievances, Assures of Salary Payment

In the wake of workers’ protests across various sites of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), the General Manager, Franklin Ngoni Njie, has said workers’ grievances are being sorted out.

For days now, employees have taken to the streets demanding immediate payment of overdue salaries.

In a statement released recently, the General Manager said CDC management has been working on with the government and other stakeholders to meet the workers’ demands.

Speaking about the root of the grievances, Njie clarified, “It’s a problem we know about and which has been the subject of a good number of working sessions with the state and other stakeholders. Progress has been made.”

He explained that the state had committed to addressing the accumulated salary debt of the CDC, spanning from 2018 to December 31, 2022.

This amounts to approximately FCFA 35.7 billion.

Procedural Delays

According to Mr Njie, a formal agreement was signed to this effect, marking a significant step forward in resolving the financial burden on CDC workers.

One of the key points of frustration for workers has been the delayed payment.

Based on discussions held earlier this year, workers had expected the first instalment of payments by September 2024.

However, that expectation was not met, leading to mounting frustration and eventually, protests.

The GM explained that the delay was due to unforeseen issues with the commercial bank initially selected to execute the payment plan.

“The commercial bank that was retained for the execution of the content of that convention, there were issues—issues of conformance and issues of capacity. So that commercial bank that was retained, we had to revisit that decision,” he elaborated.

As a result, CDC and the government had to restart the process, inviting other banks to express interest and go through a rigorous selection process.

This re-evaluation took time as CDC and government officials conducted negotiations and due diligence checks to ensure the next financial institution would have both the capability and the conformance required to manage the payments effectively.

Njie noted that the process is now in advanced stages, with a likely suitable financial institution identified to handle the payments.

“The finishing touches are being done for a concrete proposal to be put in front of the competent authority, namely the Minister of Finance, for a convention,” he added.

Once this agreement is finalized, a convention will be established between CDC, the chosen commercial bank, and the state, represented by the Minister of Finance, to initiate the overdue payments to the CDC workers.

Reassurances

The general manager’s statement aims to reassure CDC workers and the public that efforts are being made to fulfil the salary obligations.

He emphasised that neither CDC management nor the government is to blame for the delays, attributing the setback to procedural issues with the original financial partner.

As the situation stands, CDC workers anxiously wait and remain hopeful that the ongoing process will soon deliver the relief they have been waiting for.

In the meantime, Njie has called for patience, assuring that management is committed to seeing the process through and meeting its obligations to its workforce.

“Government has taken a decision and stands by that decision. The result of all of this exercise will be that there will be a convention between this commercial bank, CDC, and the state represented by the Minister of Finance,” Njie affirmed.