Some Reflections on the Regulatory Constraints to Labour Malpractices in Cameroon

Abstract

The rapid drop in the standard of Fair Labour Practices in the private sector of Cameroon is so disturbing. Generally, the recognition of the basic right of each citizen such as the right to work and the security of employment is of paramount importance to a worker because work brings wages by which workers and their families depend on, works gives dignity and meaning to the life of a worker and make the world economy run accordingly. That is why the Cameroonian labour legislator has made much effort in addressing the situation of workers who have been unlawfully dismissed from work by malicious employers or workers whose basic rights to work and security of employment may be threatened. The aim of this study therefore, is to ascertain the regulatory Constraints to labour malpractices in Cameroon. These Labour malpractices mostly committed by profit conscious employers of Labour in Cameroon are characterized amongst others by; the imposition of standard form contracts on their workers, discrimination in the private sector employment, subjecting workers under unsafe working environment and deplorable conditions of work, wrongful discharge of employment, the practice of divide and conquer style of management, gross violations of workers fundamental human rights, arbitrary variation of substantial terms of employment contracts, the questionable practices of labour inspectors, unreasonable restraint clauses in the private sector employment contracts, non-respect of government-mandated minimum guarantee wage, non-conformity of internal rules and regulations to national standard, wrongful suspension of contract of employment etc. These deviant dispositions of employers of Labour, although contrary to deontology, are so embedded in the Cameroonian Labour market causing private sector workers to remain at the same level from January to December every year of their life. In a bid to attain the overall purpose of this study, this research adopts the qualitative research methodology which involve an in-depth content analysis of both primary and secondary data. Findings, therefore, reveal that despite the regulatory, institutional and policy framework put in place to protect private sector employees against any form of labour malpractices, private sector employees are not adequately protected because of gaps in the labour legislation, conflicting interests, economic impact, low Scholarisation of workers, political impact, ineffective implementation of prevailing regulations, the introduction of powerless staff representatives, laxity on the part of some Labour Inspectors to ensure the respect of labour legislation etc constitutes the basis for the multiplication of gross violation of employment rights in the private sector within the country. This research conclude theoretically that the Cameroon Labour Legislation to an extent, guarantees the protection of private sector employees but practically it effective implementation and enforcement leaves much to be desired. This has necessitated the suggestion of some policy recommendations for the way forward. In this regard, in order to attain an effective regulatory, institutional and policy framework which guarantees the protection of workers against any form of labour malpractices in the private sector, we recommends a review of the 1992 Labour Code to better handle any form of labour malpractices affecting private sector employment in today’s era and the Labour Inspectorate being the central state institution charged with the enforcement of employment rights should not only be found seating at the regional and divisional headquarters, they should equally be established in each sub-division in other to take justice nearer to workers who are mostly employed by employers of unskilled labour in the country.