… Work has resumed at Cameroon Sugar Corporation (Sosucam), but the situation remains far from normal after a strike by sugarcane cutters disrupted operations during the crucial harvest period. The work slowdown continues, and there are still significant challenges in fully restarting production.

According to union representatives interviewed by Business in Cameroon, the sugarcane cutting operations are still running at a reduced pace. “Work hasn’t fully resumed,” one union leader explained.

At Sosucam’s largest site in Nkoteng, operations are only partially back on track. "Of the 1,026 cane cutters expected in the fields, only 533 have returned to their posts," said an internal company source, indicating a 52% attendance rate. In other words, 493 workers (48%) are still missing, since the strike began on February 8…

Regarding the absences, Théophile Aluna Mvehe, president of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Cameroon (CSTC) at Sosucam, explained that some workers chose to go home, disheartened by the lack of satisfactory responses from management to their demands…

On February 7, after a meeting with stakeholders in Nkoteng, Sosucam’s management agreed to raise the base salary for sugarcane cutters from CFA56,000 to CFA57,000, along with increases in health and dirtiness allowances. However, these increases were deemed insufficient by the workers, who are demanding a base salary of CFA105,000…