References
Labour Code, Law No. 92/007, [LC]
Date:
19 Aug 1970;
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Implementing texts dated 26 May 1993:<br/>* Decree No. 021 setting the terms for termination of employment for economic reasons;<br/>* Order No. 015 setting the conditions and duration of the notice period;<br/>* Order No. 016 setting the terms for compensation and calculation of severance pay;<br/>* Order No. 017 setting the terms for probationary period.
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Arrêté n° 017/MTPS/SG/CJ du 26 mai 1993 fixant la durée maximale et les modalités de l'engagement à l'essai.
Date:
1 Jan 1970;
Order No. 22/MTPS/SG/CJ establishing procedures governing terminations on economic grounds (referred to by the Government in the Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018) on the application of ILO Convention No. 158)
Décret n° 021/MTPS/SG/CJ du 26 mai 1993 fixant les modalités de licenciement pour motif économique.
Date:
1 Jan 1970;
Scope
Size of enterprises excluded (≤): none
Workers' categories excluded: prison staff, civil/public servants, domestic workers, police, army, judiciary, other
Art. 1(3) LC
Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018) on the application of the Termination of Employment Convention, 1982 (No. 158) - Cameroon (Ratification: 1988): Indication by the Government that domestic workers and workers in the informal economy belong to the categories of workers that are subject to special regulations or a special scheme ; and that these workers are subject to special regulations, and are not considered as workers covered by the Labour Code of 1992.
FTC regulated: Yes
Valid reasons for FTC use: no limitation
Art. 25 LC
: 2
Art. 25 (1) a) LC
Exceptions:
*Are not renewable contracts concluded for the execution of a specified task and contract which termination is subject to the occurrence of a future but certain event;
* Are renewable without limitation contracts of temporary employment to replace a worker, employment to complete a task within a specified period which requires additional manpower, occasional work aiming at coping with unexpected growth in the activities of the company or entailing urgent tasks for reasons of public security, and seasonal work. (art. 25 (4) LC)
Maximum cumulative duration of successive FTCs: 48month(s)
Art. 25 (1) a): maximum 2 years renewable once.
*This limitation does not however apply to temporary employment to replace a worker, employment to complete a task within a specified period which requires additional manpower, occasional work aiming at coping with unexpected growth in the activities of the company or entailing urgent tasks for reasons of public security, and seasonal work. (art. 25 (4) LC)
Maximum probationary (trial) period (in months): 8 month(s)
*Art. 28 LC
The probationary period cannot exceed 6 months including renewal, except for managerial staff for whom it can be extended to 8 months.
See also: Arrêté n° 017/MTPS/SG/CJ du 26 mai 1993 fixant la durée maximale et les modalités de l'engagement à l'essai.
Obligation to provide reasons to the employee: Yes
Valid grounds (justified dismissal):
Prohibited grounds: pregnancy, maternity leave, political opinion, trade union membership and activities
The LC does not contain any general provision on non-discrimination.
Art. 39 LC: Dismissal based on the opinions of the workers or his affiliation to a trade union are prohibited.
Art. 84 LC: Pregnant women and women on maternity leave.
Workers enjoying special protection: workers' representatives, pregnant women and/or women on maternity leave
Art. 40 (7) and 130 LC : prior authorization by the labour administration for the dismissal of a workers' representative.
Art. 84 LC : prohibition of dismissal only during maternity leave and not during the whole period of pregnancy. However, pregnancy cannot justify dismissal.
Notification to the worker to be dismissed: written
Art. 34 (1) LC
Notice period:
Art. 34 LC
Art. 1 of the Order No. 15 of 1993.
The notice period varies according to the professional category to which the worker belongs and the length of service.
* Categories I to VI and domestic workers:
- less than one year of service: 15 days;
- 1 to 5 years of service: 1 month;
- more than 5 years of service: 2 months.
* Categories VII to IX:
- less than one year of service: 1 month;
- 1 to 5 years of service: 2 months;
- more than 5 years of service: 3 months.
* Categories X to XII:
- less than one year of service: 1 month;
- 1 to 5 years of service: 3 months;
- more than 5 years of service: 4 months.
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
- worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers: 15 day(s).
worker's categories VII to IX:
worker's categories VII to IX:
- worker's categories VII to IX: 1 month(s).
worker's categories X to XII:
worker's categories X to XII:
- worker's categories X to XII: 1 month(s).
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
- worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers: 15 day(s).
worker's categories VII to IX:
worker's categories VII to IX:
- worker's categories VII to IX: 1 month(s).
worker's categories X to XII:
worker's categories X to XII:
- worker's categories X to XII: 1 month(s).
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
- worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers: 1 month(s).
worker's categories VII to IX:
worker's categories VII to IX:
- worker's categories VII to IX: 2 month(s).
worker's categories X to XII:
worker's categories X to XII:
- worker's categories X to XII: 3 month(s).
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
- worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers: 1 month(s).
worker's categories VII to IX:
worker's categories VII to IX:
- worker's categories VII to IX: 2 month(s).
worker's categories X to XII:
worker's categories X to XII:
- worker's categories X to XII: 3 month(s).
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
- worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers: 2 month(s).
worker's categories VII to IX:
worker's categories VII to IX:
- worker's categories VII to IX: 3 month(s).
worker's categories X to XII:
worker's categories X to XII:
- worker's categories X to XII: 4 month(s).
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
- worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers: 2 month(s).
worker's categories VII to IX:
worker's categories VII to IX:
- worker's categories VII to IX: 3 month(s).
worker's categories X to XII:
worker's categories X to XII:
- worker's categories X to XII: 4 month(s).
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers:
- worker's categories I to VI and domestic workers: 2 month(s).
worker's categories VII to IX:
worker's categories VII to IX:
- worker's categories VII to IX: 3 month(s).
worker's categories X to XII:
worker's categories X to XII:
- worker's categories X to XII: 4 month(s).
Pay in lieu of notice: Yes
Art. 36(1) LC
Notification to the public administration: No
Exceptions:
Notification is mandatory prior to any:
* individual dismissal on economic grounds (art 40 (6) LC)
* dismissal of a worker's representative (art. 130 LC).
Notification to workers' representatives: No
Exception:
Notification is mandatory prior to any individual dismissal on economic grounds: art. 40 (3) and (6) LC.
Approval by public administration or judicial bodies: No
Exception: any dismissal of a worker's representatives shall be approved by the competent administrative authority: art. 130 LC and 40(7) LC.
Approval by workers' representatives: No
Definition of collective dismissal (number of employees concerned) No legal definition - procedural requirements apply any dismissal (individual or collective) based on economic grounds
Art. 40 LC refers to "any dismissal based on economic grounds":
"2) Constitue un licenciement pour motif économique tout licenciement effectué par un employeur pour un ou plusieurs motifs non inhérents à la personne du travailleur et résultant d’une suppression ou transformation d’emploi ou d’une modification du contrat de travail, consécutive à des difficultés économiques, à des mutations technologiques ou à des restructurations internes."
Notification to the public administration Yes
Art. 40 (3), (6) LC and art. 3 of the Decree No. 21, 26 May 1993.
Notification to trade union (workers' representatives) Yes
Art 40 (3), (4) (6) LC
Notification to workers' representatives: Yes
Art. 40 (6) LC and art. 3 of the Decree No. 21, 26 May 1993.
Approval by trade union (workers' representatives) No
Except for the dismissal of workers' representatives: art. 40 (7) LC.
Approval by workers' representatives No
Note: In the absence of agreement between the employer and the staff representatives, the dispute is brought before the Labour Inspector for arbitration (art. 40(6)d) LC). However, the employer is not bound by the decision of the administration.
(Paul-Gu00e9rard Pougouu00e9, Code du travail annotu00e9, 1997)
Approval by the administration is however mandatory in order to dismiss a workers' representative: art. 40 (7) LC
Priority rules for collective dismissals (social considerations, age, job tenure) Yes
Art. 6 (a) LC: "...lu2019employeur doit u00e9tablir lu2019ordre des licenciements en tenant compte des aptitudes professionnelles, de lu2019anciennetu00e9 dans lu2019entreprise et des charges familiales des travailleurs."
Art. 2 of the Decree No. 21 of 26 May 1993, lists the criteria to be considered in the following order: professional skills, length of service and family responsibilities.
Employer's obligation to consider alternatives to dismissal (transfers, retraining...) Yes
Art. 40 (9) LC and art. 4 of the Decree No 21 of 21 May 1996: prior claim to employment in the same establishment for a period of 2 years.
Priority rules for re-employment Yes
Art. 40 (3) LC: alternatives to dismissal must be examined in the framework of the consultation process but no formal agreement is required. It reads as follows:
"3) Pour tenter du2019u00e9viter un licenciement pour motif u00e9conomique, lu2019employeur qui envisage un tel licenciement doit ru00e9unir les du00e9lu00e9guu00e9s du personnel su2019il en existe et rechercher avec eux en pru00e9sence de lu2019inspecteur du travail du ressort, toutes les autres possibilitu00e9s telles que : la ru00e9duction des heures de travail, le travail par roulement, le travail u00e0 temps partiel, le chu00f4mage technique, le ru00e9amu00e9nagement des primes, indemnitu00e9s et avantages de toute nature, voire la ru00e9duction des salaires. "
:
* Art. 37 LC
* Art. 1 and 2 of the Order N° 016 of 26 May 1993:
- A worker is entitled to severance pay provided he has been employed for at least two years and he has not committed any serious misconduct.
- Severance pay corresponds to a percentage of the monthly overall wages per year of service and is set according to the length of service as follows:
*20% per year during the first 5 years
*25% per year from the 6th to the 10th year
*30% per year from the 11th to th 15th year
*35% per year from the 16th to the 20th year
*40 % per year after the 21st year
: 0 month(s)
: 0 month(s)
: 0 month(s)
: 0.4 month(s)
: 0.8 month(s)
: 1 month(s)
: 2.25 month(s)
: 5.5 month(s)
:
No specific redundancy payment: severance pay covers dismissals for economic reasons. (Art. 1 and 2 of the Order N° 016 of 26 May 1993)
: 0 month(s)
: 0 month(s)
: 0 month(s)
: 0.4 month(s)
: 0.8 month(s)
: 1 month(s)
: 2.25 month(s)
: 5.5 month(s)
mine workers: No
Art. 39 (4) LC reads as follows:
"... 4) Le montant des dommages-intu00e9ru00eats est fixu00e9 compte-tenu, en gu00e9nu00e9ral, de tous les u00e9lu00e9ments qui peuvent justifier lu2019existence et du00e9terminer lu2019u00e9tendue du pru00e9judice causu00e9 et notamment :a) lorsque la responsabilitu00e9 incombe au travailleur, de son niveau de qualification et de lu2019emploi occupu00e9 ; b) lorsque la responsabilitu00e9 incombe u00e0 lu2019employeur, de la nature des services engagu00e9s, de lu2019anciennetu00e9 des services, de lu2019u00e2ge du travailleur et des droits u00e0 quelque titre que ce soit. Toutefois, le montant des dommages-intu00e9ru00eats, sans excu00e9der un mois de salaire par annu00e9e du2019anciennetu00e9 dans lu2019entreprise, ne peut u00eatre infu00e9rieur u00e0 trois mois de salaire. (...)".
Art. 39 (5) LC reads as follows:
"...5) En cas de licenciement lu00e9gitime du2019un travailleur survenu sans observation par lu2019employeur des formalitu00e9s pru00e9vues, le montant des dommages-intu00e9ru00eats ne peut excu00e9der un mois de salaire."
Compensation for unfair dismissal - Legal limits (ceiling in months or calculation method): Unfair dismissal: not more than 1 month's salary per year of service and not less than 3 months' salary.<br/>In addition, failure to observe the procedural requirements gives rise to compensation of not more than 1 month's salary.<br/>
Art. 39, (4) and (5) LC
managerial / executive positions: No
Except for workers' representatives: Art. 130 (4) LC.
police: Yes
Preliminary mandatory extra-judicial conciliation before the Labour Inspector (art. 139 LC).
Art. 131 and 133 LC
Existing arbitration: No