Trade unions, CSOs strike may reinforce Monday "ghost town"!.

08/02/2023

The government has played all its cards and failed to end the demonic "ghost towns" imposed by separatist fighters in the North West and South West Regions six years ago as protest to cripple the economy.

With no relations to the fighters, a conglomerate of 26 trade unions and Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, and the Cameroon Workers Forum, CAWOF, which comprises 11 trade union confederations, have announced "ghost town" strikes every Monday from February 15 to March 15.

Their threat, which if implemented, could be very disastrous to the government, which is facing security and economic challenges, is provoked by the increase in fuel prices.

The government, panting to the demands of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and World Bank, to which it is a debtor, raised fuel prices by 100 FCFA a litre at the beginning of this month.

In what was seen as a cushion of the devastating impact, the government announced a salary increase of 5.2 per cent for civil servants and proposed raising the minimum wage from 36,270 FCFA to 41,875 FCFA.

In opposition, the Cameroon Workers Forum wants a salary increase by 30 per cent and minimum wage from 100,000 FCFA, failure of which they will stay at home every Monday for one month from February 15.

The trade unions, after their meeting in Yaounde, Friday February 3, did not only concur with the decision to strike but went on to tackle the government for what sounds like cronyism, nepotism, corruption and impunity that annihilate the desire to take into consideration the suffering of the common man in the lurch of skyrocketing cost of living.

In their release after the meeting, which this daily reported on extensively yesterday, complained that in the last 10 years, the salaries of workers have remained stagnant amid spiraling inflation. They decried what they said are “obnoxious” provisions of the current Financial Law that makes life unbearable for the citizenry.

The country’s fiscal policy for 2023, they further indicated, has “oppressive and repressive tax measures against...the poorest and most vulnerable categories of people in our society” and dampens the potential for job creation and economic growth.

The trade union and civil society actors were vitriolic in criticising the frightening insecurity across major towns and cities of the country.

As illustration of the pervasive insecurity, they said "...in the face of insecurity, which continues to gain ground” and is affecting, “the common man daily, especially the case of the “microbes” gang in Douala is very clear”.

They further noted that “institutional insecurity directly targeting social actors, intellectuals, journalists, human right defenders, threats to muzzle free speech,” portray the State as “increasingly failing in its obligation to protect citizens”.

They demanded that the government should investigate and arrest persons whom they mentioned as having looted funds for different projects including those for the COVID-19 and hosting of AFCON.

The unionists and civil society organisations also wanted a reform of the educational system to orientate it towards job creation and competition at the international level.  

There is no iota of doubt that the demands are legitimate and are being made in good faith and should not be blemished with politics as the CPDM is noted for such antic.

But without holding any brief for the government, most of the demands cannot be met given the financial crunch of debts the government finds itself in and is being squeezed by the IMF and World Bank to impose the punitive austerity measures.

What the civil society and trade unions have demanded and which the government can do is good governance to block all loopholes being used to loot from the public treasury, fictitious and inflated contracts.

Failure to release the report of the COVID-19 alleged embezzlement, which reportedly implicated some members of government, give the impression that the regime condones impunity, just like in the case of inflated contracts in providing infrastructure for AFCON.  

How will workers not demand more when they see a few at the top swimming in illicit wealth when what they earn is not enough to live decently? What is the government doing to control transport fares that some drivers have unilaterally increased with bus fares from 1,000 FCFA to 1,500 FCFA from Douala to Mutengene for instance?

The rippling effect is that with such hikes in transportation cost, traders will pass it on to the common man and cost of living will become unbearable.

Normally, given the importance of labour unions and civil society in democracy, the government would have consulted them before the increase in fuel prices.

It failed to do that and the unions have announced a strike, which if it comes the pass, will further compound the dire challenges facing the government and even the common man.

The Guardian Post, however, thinks there is some concession the government can make to the demands of the activists, especially in openly prosecuting those suspected to have embezzled COVID-19 funds, and reaped from AFCON contracts.

But that appears a utopian dream since some of those said to be implicated hold top positions in government, which makes it appear like asking people to prosecute themselves.

What we recommend President Paul Biya, at whose table the buck always ends, should do, is to make a clean sweep of the government for new and refreshed people with invigorated visions to grapple with the challenges.

The Guardian Post understands the government and the trade unions will meet before the 15 to iron out issues raised given that another "ghost town" by unions could cost supply-chain disruption and exacerbate the crushing cost of living no government wants.