Appraisal of the Implementation of Minimum Wage in Cameroon

Abstract

This study on wage policy in Cameroon is presented in five Chapters. It starts with a background to the study of wage rates in Cameroon, and proceeds with the statement of the Problem which is identified to be the extravagantly low rate of the minimum wage in Cameroon which cannot afford an average livelihood of a working Cameroonian, especially amidst hiking rate of inflation and housing cost. The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of the minimum wage rate in Cameroon on the Social, political and economic livelihood of Cameroonians. To achieve this objective, the researcher adopts the qualitative research methodology which consists of the content analysis of both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary data include the Constitution of 1996, the Labour Code and other Statutory and regulatory instruments and case law. Secondary data is obtained from text books, journal articles, theses, reports and websites. The existing Literature On the Concept of Wages and the Minimum Wage and the concept of On the Concept of Social Ills is reviewed and the gap identified, which this present study has filled. In the theoretical framework, the study uses the Wage Fund Theory, Subsistence Theory, The Surplus Value Theory of Wages the Residual Claimant Theory and the Bargaining theory to explain the phenomenon of wage determination and the role of wages in an economy. A major finding of this study amongst others is that, the main employment legislation in Cameroon, the Labor Code of 1992 does not provide for a statutory minimum wage. It reserves this to be done by the Minister of Labor and Social Security, which now stands at 36,270 FCFA. The Candidate concludes amongst other things, that the minimum wage policy in Cameroon is the major cause of most, if not all of the social ills plaguing the nation. To the candidate, the amount of 36, 270 FRS is blatantly too small to meet up with the economic and social necessities of the worker not including any dependents within a month. It is one of her recommendation thatthe state should redesign the wage system to be appended to the rate of inflation.