Decisive day, this Monday, March 14, when the government hopes to be able to resume teaching in public institutions after a three-week teachers’ strike. Announcements to respond to the teachers’ demands were made at the end of the week and were met with relative enthusiasm by the strikers. But beyond the teachers, the social tension goes deeper. Other professionals in the public sector are threatening to go on strike.
as reported from Yaoundé, Polycarp Essomba
This is an opportunity that the Yaoundé authorities fear more than anything else, namely the contagion of the ‘We supported too much’ (OTS) movement in other sectors of the public service. The success of this movement in the paralysis of the teachings for almost a month could really be imitated.
Health: a litany of complaints Well-guarded for a few days, the health sector where much more than gnashing of teeth is heard. Last Friday, a document stamped “OTS Health” appeared on social networks announcing that medical staff were leaving from March 16. There again, like the teachers, a litany of complaints against the state regarding the salaries and compensation of men and women in white coats.
From these different requirements, the voltage is noticeable even in households, which are burned as they are by rationing of electricity and relief which can sometimes be 48 to 72 hours in city centers. The situation is such that the government has announced its intention to reduce the consumption of energy-intensive companies and industries in order to redistribute them to households.
Shopping cart concern The shopping cart is also a source of concern. The prices of basic necessities are galloping in the markets to the point that the consumer associations and even the country’s leading employers’ association, Gicam, are overheating.
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