In addition to their salaries, the employees are also demanding bonuses and social security payments. They have already gone on strike twice to express their discontent.

The employees received an advance in March, but the total arrears amount to  FCFA 1.82 billion. They are threatening to go on strike on upcoming May 1 if their demands are not met, and have called for an urgent meeting with company’s top management.

Cicam is in difficulty and its Douala factory has been closed since November 2023. The company has been operating at a loss due to obsolete equipment and has accumulated a total debt of FCFA 31 billion, including a social debt of more than FCFA 4 billion.