Cameroon: Nation wide strike announced

Land Transport Trade Unions in Cameroon are warming up to begin a nationwide strike come November 16 2015, if the government does not cut down fuel prices. After a meeting in Yaounde on October 29, the trade unionists sounded a note of caution to Prime Minister Philemon Yang. They hinted that they should be represented in the board of directors of the Stabilization fund for Hydrocarbons and that the CPDM government should take serious action to curb illegal transporters.

The trade unionists lamented that despite the drop in petroleum products in the world market since July 2014, Cameroon regrettably has not honored an earlier arrangement of fuel increase in the country from 569frs to 650frs per liter for petrol and gas oil from 520frs to 600frs. They wondered aloud that even though Cameroon is an oil producing nation, the increase in the prices of petroleum products has ushered inflation and weighs greatly on the majority of the population who are living below UN poverty line.

Cameroon government officials have reportedly responded to the threats explaining that things are the way they are because SONARA, the oil refinery company exports the crude oil she extracts and import a lighter one for processing, hence the high price paid by citizens. Experts at SONARA also say between 2008 and 2013 state subvention on fuel stood at 1,200billion and 157billion within the first six months of 2014. Cameroon Concord understands the World Bank is not happy with the continuous subsidy by the state arguing that it has a positive impact only on the rich and detrimental to the vast majority of Cameroonians as inflation has been the ultimate outcome.