NW workers highlight peace, solidarity in Labour Day celebrations

Tse Anye Kevin Regional President of the Confederation of Cameroon Trade Unions, CCTU addressed North West region workers on the 129th Edition of the International Labour Day 2015.

He welcomed members to the celebration held under the theme, "Let us build our country in peace, solidarity and decent work".

He thanked them for their efforts in the attainment of 2014 goals which condemned in very strong terms the bad and unethical practices at job places such as child labour, sexual harassment, homosexuality, embezzlement and corruption etc.

Although, a lot of unusual and unethical situations occurred in 2014, the collective efforts of unions helped to handle them well. He posited that in 2015 the unions shall be more prompt in responding to similar unethical actions that could render untold hardship on workers in particular and the population in general.

He stressed that the unions collective efforts to promote peace, solidarity and decent work at all levels will go a long way to create, an enabling environment for economic growth and the promotion of our development.

"I therefore, wish to call on all the workers to embrace peace as an instrument of economic development, solidarity as we must be one and indivisible to better protect our society. Above all, we must know that the promotion of decent work is about the sustainability of our enterprises and the social protection of workers. We must shun marginalization, the sexual harassment of workers, corruption in all its forms, exploitation of workers by employers, and much more," he said.

He noted that he was convinced that if proper strategies and checks are put in place, the union will be taking the North West and Cameroon to an era where our economy is placed at the centre of development and where embezzlement, corruption, tribalism, the man-know-man syndrome and discrimination in all its forms, become things of the past.

"2015 ushers in enough maturity in workers and I urge you to continue to be involved in the development of your various communities and especially in showing concern for the elderly and non-workers for better harmony in society," he asserted.

He thus urged all working in the formal economy to understand that the level of success or progress in their careers depend largely on the level of engagement and contribution of those in the informal economy.

He also acknowledged the enormous effort by women as housewives in particular and in domestic work in general, even as such work is not really taken into consideration. These categories of unquantified workers deserve attention as they also deserve decent working conditions.

With regard to the domestic work he said, "without their contribution, we can hardly achieve the theme of this 129th International Labour Day which is that of building our society in peace and solidarity. If we as workers take all this into consideration, we shall be creating an ecosystem of better life and better living conditions for all, and above all; of a more just, open and democratic society".

He enjoined all workers to contribute to the economy; remain united as one people in one nation, fight for their rights and those of the elderly as well as women in domestic work.