The General Manager and Staff Representatives have made an appeal to workers where work has stopped to take a firm resolve to resume work as soon as possible. This was the key message during a meeting with Staff Representatives of the Rubber and Palms Groups on Friday 21st December, 2018 at the Staff Club in Bota to strategize on how CDC can get back to normalcy in 2019.
Opening discussions during the meeting, the GM gave an elaborate situational analysis of the financial and material effects of the socio-political crisis within the Corporation. He discarded the information that government has given a grant of 86 billion FCFA to CDC. The GM seized the opportunity to explain that the 86 billion FCFA is part of the restructuring program by Government for the provision of an Oil Mill, Rubber factory and Rolling Equipment to CDC.
All parties in the meeting acknowledged that CDC is facing severe financial difficulties as a result of the crisis. Workers’ wages have not been paid since June 2018 and the situation of the workers is desperate. The GM however underlined the fact that while Management and Government were fulfilling their roles, the workers also have a significant part to play.
After the deliberations and discussions that ensued, it was resolved as follows:
- Management will continue to follow up with Government to get assistance to pay accrued salaries of workers;
- General Management is making efforts to have workers’ Christmas deposit paid before the end December, 2018.
- There was a general consensus between Management and the Staff Representatives that workers should resume work with immediate effect bearing in mind the reality that CDC cannot produce and sell to get the expected revenue if workers continue to stay out of the plantations.
- Management will continue to work with its social partners to pursue dialogue and sensitize workers on the need to understand the prevailing situation and the necessity to resume work.
- Management will collaborate with the Security Forces to reassure the workers of their safety in the plantations.