In a correspondence signed on June 5, 2020, the president of the board of directors of CAMAIR-CO (Cameroon Airlines Corporation), Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, gives his agreement to the general manager of the company for the implementation of a plan to lay off 65% of the technical staff. A measure that came into effect on June 8, which will apply to 371 employees for the next six months.
The pill is difficult to swallow for some employees who promised to go to the labour inspectorate. To explain this decision, the Cameroonian carrier’s CEO, Louis Georges Njipendi Kuotu, wrote a message to the employees through which he explained the company’s difficulties.
“… Faced with the cessation of our operating activities, and after having objectively assessed the relevance of all the possibilities offered by the legislation in this area, it appeared necessary for the general management to draw up a plan of technical layoff of part of the staff for a period of three (03) months renewable if necessary ”, indicates the owner of CAMAIR-CO.
In terms of difficulties, Louis Njipendji Kuotu recalls the worrying situation of the Star of Cameroon.
“In addition to the MA60, the essential parts of which have come to a stop, the Q400, for reasons related to rental arrears, is the subject of the lessor’s decision to unilaterally breach the contract which bound him at CAMAIR-CO…
As regards planes leased from ACMI including a Q400 and a Boeing 737, the current context of the pandemic is not, at this stage, favourable to their optimal exploitation in order to guarantee suitable revenues to support the continuity of operations, ” the Director-General of the Cameroonian public air transport company said.
He, however, ended his message with a note of hope by reiterating the commitment of the top management, supported by the government, to ensure the sustainability of CAMAIR-CO and therefore jobs.
