Work and Wages

This page was last updated on: 2025-01-17

Minimum Wage

There are very limited provisions in Cameroonian labour law on minimum wage and these are found within the Labour Code of 1992.

In general, a decree enacted by the government upon consultation with the National Labour Advisory Board, establishes the minimum wage. Professional categories and their respective salaries are established by a collective agreement or enterprise level agreements.

Compliance with minimum wage rates including other provisions of the Labour Code is the responsibility of Labour Inspectors. An employer committing an infringement of the Minimum Wage Decree (latest Decree is from 2014) or a collective agreement regarding wages is punishable with a fine of 100,000 to one million francs.

Source: §62; 105-111 and 167 of the Labour Code 1992

For updated minimum wage rates, please refer to the section on minimum wage.

Regular Pay

Under the Labour Code the term wages is defined as the remuneration or the earnings capable of being assessed in cash and fixed, either by agreement or by regulation, which are due because of an employment contract between an employer and an employee, either because a work performed or that has to be performed, or for services provided or that have to be provided.

Wages are payable only in legal tender. Any other method of payment is considered unlawful. Apart from the case of trading and occupations where a different method for the frequency of payment is provided, the wages are to be paid at regular intervals not exceeding one month. The occupations, where the frequency of payment is different, are specified under an Order of the Minister in charge of Labour, issued in consultation with the National Labour Advisory Board. However, workers may, at their request, receive at the end of fifteen days a payment equal to half the monthly amount of their basic remuneration and in such case the balance due to them will be settled at the end of month.

Monthly payments are to be made not later than eight days following the end of the month of employment in respect of which the wages are dues. Moreover, upon the termination of the contract of employment, a final settlement of all wages and allowances is effected as soon as the employment ceases. However, in the case of dispute, the employer can obtain authorization form the President of the competent court to retain provisionally all or part or any attachable portion of the amount payable. Workers absent on pay day are entitled to draw their wages during the normal hours of opening of the pay office in accordance with the internal regulations of the enterprise. Lastly, wages are to be paid on working days only at or near the work-place and not in a public house or in a shop or store except in the case of workers who are normally employed therein.

Payment of wages must be evidenced by a document made out or certified by the employer or his representative and initialed by each worker or by two witnesses if the worker can neither read nor write English or French. In addition, these documents must be preserved by the employer in the same manner as accounting documents and should be made available, upon demand, to labour inspector. The employer should also, at the time of payment, give the worker an individual pay voucher.

Apart from compulsory levies, reimbursement of the value of any facilities provided for housing or food and any deposits which may be stipulated in collective agreements or individual contracts, no deductions from wages can generally be made. Some exception include:

  • court order of attachment;
  • deduction of trade union contribution from wages;

Any stipulation in a collective agreement or individual contract authorizing other levies is considered null and void.

The rate of the compulsory levies to be deducted from the wages will be determined by a decree issued by the government after consultation with the National Labour Advisory Board.  Lastly, it is unlawful for employers to restrict in any way a worker's freedom to dispose of his wages as he thinks fit.

Source: §67-69 and 75-77 of the Labour Code 1992

Regulations on Work and Wages

  • Constitution de la Republique du Cameroun de 1972 / Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon 1972
  • Code du Travail de 1992 / Labour Code 1992
  • Décret n°93/578/PM du 15 juillet 1993 fixant les conditions de fond et de forme applicables aux conventions collectives de travail / Decree No. 93/578 of 15 July 1993 laying down the substantive and form applicable to collective labour agreements
  • Code Pénal de 1967 / Penal Code 1967
  • Loi n° 2011/024 du 14 décembre 2011 relative à la lutte contre le trafic et la traite des personnes / Law No. 2011/024 of 14 December 2011 on the fight against trafficking and trafficking in persons
  • Arrêté No. 015/MTPS/SG/CJ du 26 Mai 1993 Déterminant les conditions et la durée du préavis / Order No 015 / MTPS / SG / CJ of 26 May 1993 determining the conditions and the period of notice
  • Décret relatif aux dérogations à la durée légale du travail / Decree on Deviations of Legal Working Hours
  • Décret N° 95-677 du 18 décembre 1995 / Decree No. 95-677 of 18 December 1995
  • Loi n° 98/004 du 14 avril 1998 d'Orientation de l'éducation au Cameroun / Law No. 98/004 OF 4 April 1998 on Guidance of education in Cameroon
  • Arrêté No. 17 du 27 Mai 1969 relatif au travail des enfants / Order No. 17 of 27 May 1969 on Child Labour
  • Ordonnance No 81/002 du 29 Juin 1981 portant organisation de l'état civil et diverses dispositions relatives à l'état des personnes physiques / Civil Status Registration Ordinance No. 81-02 of 29 June 1981
  • Loi N° 69/LF/18 du 10 Novembre 1969 Instituant un régime d’assurance de pensions de vieillesse, d’invalidité et de décès / Law No. 69 / LF / 18 OF 10 November 1969 establishing an old-age insurance plan, disability and death
  • Profil National de la Sécurité Sociale du Cameroun 2017 (SSPTW Africa 2017) / Social Security Profile for Cameroon 2017 (SSPTW Africa 2017)
  • Loi n° 77-11 du 13 juillet 1977 portant réparation et prévention des accidents du travail et des maladies Professionnelles / Law No. 77-11 of 13 July 1977 on the repair and prevention of accidents and Occupational diseases
  • Arrêté N° 039 /MTPS /IMT du 26 novembre 1984 fixant les mesures générales d'hygiène et de sécurité sur les lieux de travail / DECREE No. 039 / MTPS / IMT of 26 November 1984 laying down general hygiene and safety in the workplace
  • Décret No 79-96 du 21 mars 1979 fixant les modalités d'exercice de la médecine du travail / Decree No. 79-96 of 21 March 1979 laying down the procedures for the exercise of medicine
  • Code des Prestations Familiales, Loi No. 67-LF-7 du 12 juin 1967 modifié par la Loi No. 2001/018 du 16 Décembre 2001 / Family Allowance Code, Act No. 67-LF-7, dated 12 June 1967 amended by Law No. 2001/018 of 16 December 2001
  • Arrêté relatif au travail des femmes, Arrêté N°16/MTLS/DEGRE du 27 Mai 1969 / Ordinance relating to the Employment of Women, Ordinance No. 16 of 1969, dated 27 May 1969
  • Arrêté fixant les conditions d’attribution et les modalités de paiement des prestations familiales / Ordinance Fixing the Conditions of Attribution and the Modes of Payment of the Family Allowances, Ordinance No. 007-MTLS-DPS, dated 14 April 1970 established by Act No. 67 -LF-7 dated 12 June 1967
  • Arrêté No. 017/MTPS/SG/CJ du 26 Mai 1993 Fixant la durée maximale et les modalités de l’engagement à l’essai / Order N017/MTPS/SG/CJ of 26 May 1993 setting the terms for probationary period
  • Arrêté No. 015/MTPS/SG/CJ du 26 Mai 1993 Déterminant les conditions et la durée du préavis / Order No 015 / MTPS / SG / CJ of 26 May 1993 determining the conditions and the period of notice
  • Arrêté No. 016/MTPS/SG/CJ du 26 Mai 1993 Fixant les modalités d’attribution et de calcul de l’indemnité de licenciement / Order No 016 / MTPS / SG / CJ of 26 May 1993 laying down the procedures allocation and calculation of severance pay
  • Loi fixant le régime des fêtes légales en République Unie du Cameroun / Act Regulating Public Holidays in the United Kingdom of Cameroon
  • Loi N°73/5 du 7 Décembre 1973 / Act No. 73-05 of 7 December 1973

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