(Business in Cameroon) – A legal dispute between a labor union and Orange Cameroon began today, with a potentially landmark hearing at the Douala-Bonanjo Court of First Instance. The telco staff union Syntic has filed a complaint against the company and its CEO, Patrick Benon Omontetcho, for failing to pay seniority bonuses mandated by a 2010 collective bargaining agreement.
According to the agreement, every employee is entitled to a bonus equal to 4% of their base salary after two years of service, with an additional 2% for each subsequent year, with no cap. However, Syntic accuses the telecommunications giant of calculating these bonuses based on the lowest pay grade, which it claims led to a loss of over 3 billion CFA francs for employees between 2010 and 2019. The union is now demanding full payment.
This legal battle has been a long time coming. Koungou Corneille, Syntic’s president, said the union first tried to resolve the issue through the labor inspectorate in Douala, but the company “always played for time.” After a non-conciliation report was filed, the case was referred to the Arbitration Chamber, where it languished until 2025. “In consultation with our lawyer, we then decided to use the direct summons procedure, which was validated by the public prosecutor,” Corneille said.
The dispute reached a turning point in 2017 when the Ministry of Labor acknowledged the union’s claims, forcing Orange Cameroon to admit an “error of judgment.” The company promised to rectify the issue and made a partial back payment in October 2017. However, the union dismissed this as a “sprinkling,” noting that some employees received only a fraction of what they were owed.
The lawsuit involves 157 former employees who left the company before 2019. Syntic is now requesting the court appoint an independent expert to recalculate the amounts due to these employees and their beneficiaries.
Beyond the financial figures, the case has symbolic significance. Its outcome could set a precedent for the power of Cameroonian unions to enforce labor laws against multinational corporations. In a sector where profits are high and labor relations are often tense, the resolution of this case will be closely watched by business leaders and workers alike.
Orange Cameroon did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.
Amina Malloum
