BICEC workers suspend planned strike

Trade Unions and workers of BICEC bank have lifted a planned strike action over the distribution of end of year bonuses.

The decision to cancel the strike was taken during a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Gregoire Owona.

At the end of the meeting the different stakeholders agreed that an average annual bonus of FCFA 300 thousand will be paid to each worker from the FCFA 4.5 billion profit made by the bank.

The decision arrived at by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Gregoire Owona, the Director General of BICEC bank, Alain Ripert and bankers trade union representatives puts an end to internal wranglings over the annual bonuses made by the bank.

While workers claimed that BICEC made an annual profits of FCFA 12.5 billion, Bank administration announced a FCFA 4.5 billion profit. The divergence which afters the amount of bonus each worker was expected the get was at origin of the planned strike.

The immediate solution to appease the 750 workers of the bank agreed at the meeting with the Minister was to pay an average annual bonus of 300 thousand Francs to eligible staff and the board of directors will meet next Thursday in Douala to examine the situation.

According to workers representatives, the bank does not communicate efficiently as they read on the press this June that the bank has been tackling embezzlement claims huge sums since since 2003.

Workers and clients were however assured that the bank is on its feets.