Strike action hampers Lom Pangar dam construction

Strikers who stayed three days off work to demand improved working conditions have seriously affected the expected growth rate of the Lom Pangar dam construction.

The last two days of the walkout, held from Wednesday 2 to Friday 4, were devoted to negotiations between the representatives of the demonstrators, Chinese entrepreneurs and the Delegate Eastern Regional Labour and Social Security told sources.


It is thought that the protests were over the improvement of working conditions; considering the higher risk premiums that are currently 50 CFA francs per day. This is considered racism because a Chinese peasant is treated better and more respected than Cameroonians, and the fact seniority is not taken into account.


Our source also mentioned that their telephone lines were cut during the strike to prevent information from spreading, but this has not been officially disclosed.


Meetings were then multiplied to try and restore the situation. The first meeting was attended by the three parties last Thursday but it ended without change. The Chinese side, we learn, remained encamped on its position on claims Cameroonian workers engaged on the dam. The meeting however ended on a fishtail.

Military were subsequently sent to deter the strikers. In the aftermath, another meeting was held that made slight improvements, this time in the presence of officials of Electricity Development Corporation (EDC), the prime contractor Coyne and Aries, the contractor and the Regional Delegate of Labour and Social Security.


Risk premiums and soiling will go from 50 FCFA to 100 FCFA per day even though the strikers demanded 1,000 FCFA, working conditions have also suffered a "slight" improvement and staff representatives were allowed to recover all their posts.


After this meeting that somewhat satisfied strikers, decided to return to work the next day on Saturday 5 July. But the strikers were informed by the project manager that the two-day strike will not be paid. This is the umpteenth strike that shakes the site which employs around 650 Cameroonian and 352 Chinese.