Some trade unions in Fako Division, South West Region, are urging for better working conditions in their organisations. On May 1, 2025, they joined thousands of workers in Limbe to celebrate International Labour Day.
They made the call through a speech that was presented by Ojong Pius at Manga Williams Avenue in Limbe.
That is where thousands of workers from the seven subdivisions in Fako Division convened to commemorate Labour Day.
Ojong said workers go for even more than 35 months without salaries. He equally decried that authorities are not holding meetings with workers in order to address their grievances.
He questioned how there can be social justice, highlighting issues like lack of communication, absence of retirement benefits, tardiness, and inappropriate behaviour, among others.
“Must workers always go on the street before their challenges are solved? Who knows what will happen next as workers agitate for salaries and arrears?” He questioned.
Other issues that he slammed on the administration’s table include the theft of bikes.
Ojong said the theft of motorcycles and the killing of bike riders are alarming in Limbe.
“We are pleading for your intervention,” he told the SDO of Fako Division, Viang Mekala, who presided over the celebrations.
However, he acknowledged some strides made by some employers, including the state. He thanked the government for paying the salary arrears of workers at the Cameroon Development Corporation, the second- largest employer in the country after the state.
381 Medals Awarded At Labor Day
Before the march passed, some 381 workers received different medals—gold and silver— for their work contribution.
Addressing the workers, Fako’s SDO, Viang Mekala, focused on social dialogue as a panacea in the world of labour.
To him, social dialogue and decent work foster a peaceful Cameroon while promoting harmonious relationships and living together in the country.
He said, if the workplace respects the measures being put in place by the government, there will be a conducive work environment, and challenges will be curbed.
He added that, despite the recurrent workers’ strikes in Cameroon, the country is doing well in the way workers are treated.
“There is reason to consider these shortcomings and consider them for the success of the company,” he said.
He, however, assured CDC workers and council workers that the government of Cameroon will not fail to protect their rights.
