Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144) - Cameroon (Ratification: 2018)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

The Committee notes the observations of the General Union of Workers of Cameroon (UGTC), received on 3 January 2024. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this respect.

Article 2 of the Convention. Consultation procedures. In its previous comment, the Committee noted the establishment of the Committee for the Evaluation and Monitoring of the Application of ILO Conventions (CESAC). The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, since its establishment within the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in 2018, CESAC has held regular meetings and is convened once a year by its chairperson, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. CESAC consists of four representatives of the Ministry, one representative from each of the administrative services responsible for implementing Conventions subject to reporting, four representatives of employers’ organizations, four representatives of workers’ organizations, and a technical secretariat. Regarding the working of the procedures which ensure effective tripartite consultations, the Government indicates that CESAC holds two preparatory meetings, the first involving all the administrative services concerned by the Conventions subject to reporting and the second involving the most representative organizations of workers. During these two preparatory meetings, it is requested that amendments and additions be made to the draft reports to be made to the International Labour Office under article 22 of the ILO Constitution (Article 5(1)(d) of the Convention). The Committee notes the observations of the UGTC indicating that CESAC is not the only body in which the Convention must be applied. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing updated information on the working of the procedures which ensure effective tripartite consultations required by the Convention, in particular within the tripartite Committee for the Evaluation and Monitoring of the Application of ILO Conventions, or any other tripartite committee which ensures effective consultations between representatives of the Government, of employers and of workers on the matters referred to in Article 5(1) of the Convention.

Article 4. Administrative support and training. The Committee previously noted that sections 5 and 9 of Order No. 000058/MINTSS of 27 February 2018 contain provisions on the financing and administrative support of CESAC. However, the Government indicated that the administrative support of the procedures had not yet been planned. The Government also indicated that no arrangements had yet been made at the national level for the financing of training for the consultation procedures. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Labour Standards and International Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security provides the technical secretariat for CESAC. In this respect, after a CESAC meeting is held, a copy of the general report is communicated to participants. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide detailed information on the appropriate arrangements made for the financing of any necessary training of participants in these procedures (Article 4(2)). It also requests the Government to provide a copy of the CESAC meeting reports.

Article 5. Effective tripartite consultations. The Government recalls that CESAC, established within the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in 2018, meets once a year. The Committee notes that the Government refers to attendance lists, participant notifications and reports of CESAC meetings in 2021 and 2022, but has not provided copies of these documents or specific information on the consultations provided for in Article 5(1) of the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the content and outcome of the meetings of the Committee for the Evaluation and Monitoring of the Application of ILO Conventions, and to indicate the progress made in holding effective tripartite consultations on each of the matters referred to in Article 5(1)(a) to (e) of the Convention during the period covered by the next report.

Article 6. Working of the consultation procedures. In its previous comment, the Committee noted the observations of the UGTC indicating that the provisions of this Article are not given effect in Cameroon. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it will keep it informed of any new developments in this regard. The Committee once again requests the Government to indicate whether the most representative organizations of employers and workers have been consulted on whether it is necessary to take measures, including financial measures, to ensure that the meetings of the Committee for the Evaluation and Monitoring of the Application of ILO Conventions produce an annual report on the working of the procedures envisaged by the Convention.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

The Committee notes the observations of the General Union of Workers of Cameroon (UGTC), received on 16 September 2021. The Government is requested to provide its comments in this regard.

Article 2 of the Convention. Consultation procedures. The Committee welcomes the Government’s first report on the application of the Convention. The Government indicates that, in practice, employers’ and workers’ organizations are consulted on certain labour-related matters through workshops, meetings, working sessions and through the International Labour Office. The Government also indicates that, under the current situation in law and practice, tripartite consultation procedures are regulated by the Labour Code and some of its implementing texts. These procedures are applied through the National Labour Advisory Commission, the National Occupational Safety and Health Commission and the Consultation and Social Dialogue Follow-up Committee. However, the Government adds that, since the ratification of the Convention in 2018, no measures have been adopted for the establishment of tripartite consultation procedures. The Government further indicates that laws and regulations are under preparation to ensure the application of the Convention and its dissemination so that the social partners can be consulted on all subjects. In this context, the Committee wishes to recall that, while effective tripartite consultations on international labour standards facilitate tripartite cooperation at the national level, the objective of the Convention is to promote effective tripartite consultations on the matters relating to international labour standards set out in Article 5(1) of the Convention. The Committee notes the creation of the Committee for the Evaluation and Follow-up of the Application of the ILO Conventions ratified by Cameroon (CESAC) (Order No. 000058/MINTSS of 27 February 2018). The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed and updated information on the progress achieved in relation to the establishment and operation of procedures to ensure the effective tripartite consultations required by the Convention, and particularly on the implementation of Order No. 000058/MINTSS of 27 February 2018 and the commencement of the work of the tripartite Committee for the Evaluation and Follow-up of the Application of ILO Conventions (CESAC).

Article 5. Effective tripartite consultations. The Government indicates that the CESAC, set up in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, meets once a year. It is responsible for gathering and producing full information on the application of Conventions subject to reporting and to providing appropriate replies to the ILO supervisory bodies. In this regard, the UGTC observes that, despite the creation of the CESAC, it is doing no work on the evaluation and follow-up of ratified Conventions. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report whether the Committee for the Evaluation and Follow-up of the Application of ILO Conventions (CESAC) has held tripartite consultation meetings since its creation, and to provide information on the frequency, content and outcome of these meetings or, if not, to provide information on any measures adopted or envisaged to ensure the commencement of operations by the CESAC and to indicate the progress achieved in the holding of effective tripartite consultations on all the matters covered by Article 5(1) of the Convention during the next reporting period.

Article 4. Administrative support and training. The Committee notes that sections 5 and 9 of Order No. 000058/MINTSS of 27 February 2018 contain provisions on the financing and administrative support of the CESAC. However, the Government indicates that the administrative support for the procedures covered by this Article has not yet been designed. It adds that no arrangements have yet been adopted at the national level for the financing of training for the consultation procedures. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to ensure the implementation of sections 5 and 9 of Order No. 000058/MINTSS of 27 February 2018 in relation to administrative support for the consultation procedures envisaged by the Convention (Article 4(1)). It also requests the Government to provide detailed information on the appropriate measures adopted for the financing of any necessary training of participants in the consultations (Article 4(2)).

Article 6. Working of the consultation procedures. The Committee notes the observations of the UGTC indicating that the provisions of this Article are not given effect in Cameroon. The UGTC also observes that the CESAC lacks financial resources for the promotion of Conventions and Recommendations and adds that the implementation of the provisions of Article 6 of the Convention could reduce certain violations resulting from a lack of knowledge of these instruments. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether measures have been adopted, including financial measures, to ensure that the meetings of the CESAC give rise to an annual report on the working of the procedures envisaged by the Convention. If no such measures have been adopted, it requests the Government to provide information on the consultations held on this subject with the representative organizations.