Restructuring of the Cameroon Development Corporation, Challenges and Coping Strategies of Plantation Workers in Fako Division, South West Region, Cameroon

Public or state owned enterprises occupy an important position in the economy of most countries of the developing world, despite their political orientation. They play an important role in promoting social and economic development in Cameroon. The world economic crisis of 1986 which affected Cameroon forced her to implement without success a series of internal austerity measures in a bid to ameliorate the macro-economic situation of the country (Konings, 1996c). In the face of this dwindling economic situation the government was forced to seek financial assistance from the IMF and World Bank, who provided loans with laid down conditionality‟s culminating to a series of neoliberal economic reforms in public and para-public enterprises (Konings, 1995). The neoliberal restructuring of the CDC in the mid-1980s and early 1990s failed to take into consideration the working and living conditions of workers, since multinational companies that bought over these state owned enterprise focused more on profit maximization at the detriment of the welfare of plantation workers. The restructuring of the CDC have had negative consequences on the living and working conditions of the workers. The coping strategies that were employed by these workers to curb the negative effects of this neoliberal restructuring of the CDC has been ineffective, thereby rendering the workers poor and miserable (Konings, 1996c). Despite the growing importance of plantation workers in the economy of most Sub-Saharan African countries, documented research on livelihood and coping strategies focus more on food security of rural households than those of plantation workers (Christiansen, 2004). The results of this study might provide useful insights for policy makers on how Abstract: Industrial restructuring that took place in most developing countries after the mid-1980s failed to take into consideration the working and living conditions of workers, since multinational companies that bought over state owned enterprises focused more on profit maximization at the detriment of workers welfare. This study explores the challenges and coping strategies of workers of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) in the context of neoliberal restructuring masterminded by the Bretton Wood Institutions. The researcher employed a qualitative phenomenological research design with purposeful sampling of participants. Data collection entailed conducting in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 120 male and female workers drawn from four CDC camps in Fako Division. The study affirms that the restructuring of the CDC had negative consequences on the living and working conditions of workers. In a bid to salvage the situation workers had to reduce their expenditure and diversify their sources of income. The coping strategies that were employed by workers to curb the negative effects of these restructuring failed to ameliorate their living conditions, though little has been done by the CDC, CTE and Delmonte to ameliorate their situation, despite huge sacrifices they have made to restore the CDC to its past glory.