Three unions of workers at the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), launched a strike notice since 25 April.

According to a letter from the unions to management and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are three reasons for the strike. These include the insecurity caused by the Anglophone crisis which has already caused the death of several employees, the payment of 28 months of salary arrears and the appointment of a workers’ representative to the board of directors of the CDC.

Indeed, according to the unions, insecurity has already led to the death of 26 CDC workers. CDC employees are prime targets of separatists active in the South West region where the company has most of its plantations. The last attack was on 10 April in Tiko (South-West) where 5 workers were killed and several others injured.

The workers are also denouncing the non-payment of 28 months of salary arrears as agreed on 30 September 2021 during a meeting with the Prime Minister. The meeting was held after a strike notice following a series of broken promises by the government on the economic situation of the CDC. The company is considered the largest employer after the state.

Regarding the appointment of a workers’ representative to the CDC board, it should be noted that this was one of the resolutions of the recommendations of a meeting held in February 2017 with representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. CDC is one of the companies most affected by the war against separatists in the North West and South West regions.