Election of Staff Delegates for January 15

The Minister of Labour and Social Security gave a press briefing on Friday, October 4, 2013 in Yaounde.

The much-awaited election of staff delegates will hold throughout the national territory on Wednesday, January 15, 2014, in all public, private, lay or religious, civil or military institutions employing at least 20 workers.

The Minister of Labour and Social Security, Grégoire Owona, made the announcement on Friday, October 4, 2013 during a press briefing in Yaounde. He explained that the election which was first scheduled for May 2013 was postponed because certain provisions of the May 26, 1993 decision governing the election of staff delegates and the exercise of their functions, were obsolete and needed amendments.

Thus, the October 1, 2013 edict which he recently signed to that effect introduces reforms in social elections. "The major innovation is that the election will take place on the same day throughout the national territory instead of three to four months as was the case before," explained Grégoire Owona. Furthermore, he pursued, the voting will be done by secret ballot using the list system. Representation will be shared proportionately according to the verdict of the ballot box with the exclusion of lists obtaining less than five per cent of the votes cast. "This will enable the elimination of ghost trade unions because government wishes to work with credible and responsible actors," Minister Owona stated.

While the management of institutions will expected to organise the election by making available all material needed for that purpose in their respective establishments, workers will be members of the polling stations to wipe out any possibility of manipulation. More so, labour inspectors will cease to be actors in the electoral process to stop their much-decried interference. "Labour inspectors will be referees. They will play their regulating role without interfering," the Minister assured pressmen.

After the January 15, 2014 election, results will be announced in a ministerial edict. The elections will henceforth take place every two years.