Cameroon Human Rights Commission (CHRC), with collaboration from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS) as represented by Mr Martin MENDJANA, its Focal Point, conducted an investigation at Dangote Cement Cameroon from 21 to 23 October 2020. The Commission conducted that investigation under the Project to Improve the Conditions for Exercising Freedoms in Cameroon (PICEF), especially in its component relating to the involvement of the Human Rights Focal Points of the public administrations in Human Rights Promotion and Protection. Martin MENDJANA carried out an investigative visit to Dangote Cement Cameroon from 21 to 23 October 2020. Professor James MOUANGUE KOBILA, the then Acting Chairperson of the NHRI of Cameroon, led the mission.
The Chairperson of the CHRC had received an alert from an employee of a subcontractor of Dangote Cement Cameroon denouncing massive violations of workers' rights, especially their right to remuneration. The mission that Professor James MOUANGUE KOBILA undertook was to assess the reality of respect for human rights among the subcontractors of Dangote Cement Cameroon further to the alert the Chairperson of the CHRC received.
The findings of the mission, as far as human rights protection is concerned, are clear.
Before the fact-finding mission, the staff members of the subcontractors of Dangote Cement Cameroon received an irregular monthly remuneration of 51,000 CFA francs, i.e. only three weeks of paid work out of the four weeks done, and Sunday work was not paid.
After the passage of the CHRC, the company has increased salaries. Henceforth, they are paid on a regular monthly basis from the 1 to the 30 of each month to the tune of 81,000 FCFA, i.e. a monthly salary increase of 30,000 FCFA. For those who work overtime, the monthly salary has increased to 93,000 CFA francs, an increase of 42,000 CFA francs.
Furthermore, a system of verification of the effectiveness of the payment has been set up and the management of Dangote cement Cameroon has replaced three subcontractors who had been implicated, to comply with the CHRC recommendations aimed at improving the respect of workers' rights.
The CHRC, through this joint investigation process with the Human Rights Focal Points, is strengthening its position as a major partner of public administrations in the business of developing, implementing and evaluating public policies on human rights.
PICEF project has three main lines of action:
SOME EXTRACTS OF THE STATEMENT BY THE CAMEROON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO MARK THE 25TH INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, 25 November 2024
SOME EXTRACTS OF THE STATEMENT BY THE CAMEROON HUIMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION TO MARK THE WORLD CHILDREN’S DAY
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