Public hospital workers to strike on May 11

The two main unions of health medical staff, Syndicat national des personnels des établissements du secteur de la santé du Cameroun (Cap/santé) and Syndicat national des personnels médicosanitaires du Cameroun (Synpems) have planned to go on a strike on May 11, 2015.

Both unions who have on several occasions drew the attention of government demanding the best working conditions in their sector have still not been settled.

The strike notice signed on April 20 was sent to the Minister of Public Health, the Minister of Labour and Social Security and to the directors of the first and second hospitals of Cameroon.

The 16 claims contained in the strike action statement have been identified by the Syndicat national des personnels des établissements du secteur de la santé du Cameroun (Cap/santé) and Syndicat national des personnels médicosanitaires du Cameroun (Synpems).

Trade unionists lamented on the discriminatory distribution of bonuses, bad professional ranking of health personnel, the lack of support of health personnel and their nuclear family, the non-payment of fees of 14 hospital employees laid off since 1997 among others.

The unionists also disapproved of the old technical facilities available in hospitals situated in large cities. Thus they demanded for equipment which has the latest technological worth.

The signatories to the strike notice also disclosed there is insufficient staff care in hospitals while more than 45,000 professional graduates are unemployed.

Ako Nga, President of Cap/Health justifies their release: "We are tired of stalling. Each time we plan on a strike, a commission is set up to examine our complaints”.

“Such a commission had been set up in the last movement that took place in April 2014. To date, nothing has been done and the final report was never communicated”, he continued.