Police Dislodge Civil Servants' Strike, Arrest Leader

By Leocadia Bongben

A civil servants' strike that was planned to disrupt a National Assembly session on Wednesday, November 28, was dislodged by armed police in front of Parliament House.

Police cordon off angry workers

The crowd of trade unionists that had gathered at the Military Stadium across from the "Glass House" and who were chanting "Les Salaire" and blowing whistles had intended to put pressure on MPs to include the revision of salaries slashed several years ago on their agenda in the ongoing budgetary session.

But the police pounced on them and in the course of dispersing them, arrested the President of the Confederation of Civil Service Trade Unions, Jean-Marc Bikoko.As the police escorted Bikoko from the stadium to the entrance of "Glass House" he was wielding a placard that read, "Minister Robert Nkili is a Threat to Social Peace".

Bikiko told the press that the Minister of Labour and Social Security appeared to ignore plight of workers by banning the demonstration.He said the Minister was a menace to social peace and demanded that he be sacked, "for he is not doing his work."

The demands of the civil servants, Bikoko said, centres on the reinstatement of the salaries of civil servants to the pre-1993 level, as well as increase same by 30 percent.The rationale behind the demand, he maintained, is hinged on the fact that with the devaluation of the currency in 1993, a 30 percent increase would enable workers meet with skyrocketing prices.

The trade union leader said the choice of demonstrating in front of the National Assembly was because the budget is presently under discussion.The MPs, he said, are there for the people and have instead demanded that their salaries be increased but not the salaries of the people they represent.   

Following the declaration on the national radio and television that the demonstration was illegal, Bikoko said the manifestation was duly declared in Yaounde 3.He said the trade union met with the Minister of Public Service on November 21 and with the Prime Minister on November 22. 

One of the members of the trade union, a blind man, Simon Tezano, lamented that as a civil servant on Category A2, he can hardly take care of his family of six.He said though he was discouraged from coming out for the strike by his wife and mother, he had to, in the general interest, as their cry has not been understood.

He said if he died in direct confrontation, he would be a happy man.He pointed out that if MPs could suggest to the President to increase the salaries something could be done.
Commenting on the strike, the MP for Akwaya, Paul Ebine Ayah, said the Cameroon Parliament is not a parliament in the strict sense of parliamentary democracy, for, it is limited to a number of areas where it can legislate with the rest being the jurisdiction of the President.

Comments

[UnitedStatesofAfrica]

Hmmm, funny. I use to think that only Southern
Cameroonians were the ones suffering in Cameroon. I am sincerely perturbed to find out that even Francophones are burning from the scorching heat of Biya's regime. Call me a fool but could the problem in Cameroon be caused by bad governance and not regionalism? just a suggestion.

[Kumbaboy]

US of Africa,

To understand the underlying social tensions, take a peek at Google Earth 3 54'41.73"N, 11 30'52.57"E.

The above is the footprink of the majestic presidential palace in Yaounde - one of the wonders of black Africa. His majesty the "Emperor" lives there.

[UnitedStatesofAfrica]

Thanks for the link Kumbaboy, that was interesting.

[etange]

This Hon Paul Ayah is really a disgrace to the legal profession. Each time this guy is call upon to explain matters of substance in cameroon, he uses some terrible legal explanation to defend government action. I really wonder what kind of law he studied. The last time i checked, the legislature was an equal arm of government like the executive, so i don't undertand what Paul Ayah is talking about. Suggesting that the Cameroonian parliament is not a parliament in the strict sense of parliamentary democracy, simply confirms that CPDM MPs are hand clappers.