Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Protection of Wages Convention, 1949 (No. 95) - Cameroon (Ratification: 1960)

Article 8(1) of the Convention. Deductions from wages. The Committee notes the comments of the General Union of Cameroon Workers (UGTC), dated 9 September 2011, according to which the National Social Insurance Fund (CNPS) as from August 2009 has been making deductions from the wages of certain employees in violation of section 75 of the Labour Code and section 4 of Decree No. 94/197/PM of 9 May 1994. In this connection, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Labour Code is currently in the process of revision and section 75 will be brought into line with the Convention with respect to wage deductions (known as “deposits”) prescribed by individual labour agreements. The Committee also notes the comments of the Cameroon United Workers Confederation (CTUC) according to which the announced labour law reform would call for the involvement of the National Consultative Labour Commission, which nonetheless has not met for the last two years. The Committee requests the Government to transmit any comments it may wish to make in reply to the observations of the UGTC and CTUC. It also requests the Government to keep the Office informed of any progress made in the process of revision of the Labour Code.

Article 12(1). Payment of wages at regular intervals. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it has recently allocated more than 3 billion CFA francs (approximately US$6.35 million) to private educational institutions permitting them to pay delayed wages. It also notes the Government’s indication that the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative of the International Monetary Fund has contributed to the reduction of poverty in the country, for instance, by reducing the existing wage debt in the education and health sectors. In this regard, the Committee notes the comments of the CTUC according to which the report of the meeting with public administrations concerned by the payment of wages arrears by liquidated public and semi-public companies has not yet been finalized and communicated to the social partners. The Committee asks the Government to provide more detailed information concerning the persistent problems of accumulated wage arrears that have been highlighted by the Committee in the observations addressed in 2008 and 2009, especially in the public sector, including the total amounts of wage arrears by different branches of the economy, the operation of the special commission set up to calculate and settle wage entitlements and arrears of former employees of state and semi-public enterprises, concrete quantified results of the HIPC initiative with respect to wage arrears, and any other measures taken or envisaged with a view to settling all outstanding payments and preventing the recurrence of similar problems in the future.