THE CONCEPT OF GROSS MISCONDUCT AND THE TERMINATION OF LABOUR CONTRACTS IN CAMEROON: A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE
Keywords:
Labour Contract, Termination, Gross misconduct, summary dismissalAbstract
The termination of labour contracts for gross misconduct usually has grave consequences,
especially for the dismissed worker, who is not entitled to most of the benefits associated with
termination of contacts of employment such as prior notice or payment in lieu of notice,
severance pay and damages. The appreciation of the gravity of the employee’s conduct for the
purpose of determining a misconduct is at the discretion of each individual judge and varies
from case to case. It is the Supreme Court that reviews the decisions of lower courts in
determining the gravity of conduct. In this connection, the Supreme Court has an important
role to play in giving direction and has decided a number of cases laying down the type of
misconduct to be envisaged by stating that serious misconduct must relate to an intentional act
of the worker in the course of employment, which excludes professional errors. This paper
analytically examines in a comparative perspective, the labour relations in contemplation, what
brings them to an end and more particularly, gross misconduct on the part of both the employer
and the worker. It is suggested that statutory guidelines found in other systems, while
apparently rigid could help in creating certainty by properly defining and determining what
would amount to gross misconduct.
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References
i Law N° 92/007 of 4th August 1992
ii Who must be a physical person and not a moral person? PAUL-GERALD POUGOUE, CODE DU TRAVAIL
CAMEROUNAIS ANNOTE (1997) P. 31
iii In the case of Assurance des Provinces Réunis V. Tiogum David (1999) CCLR part 4, 62 The degree of
control required was said to be that of supervisory management of the worker, backed with the power to
discipline for non- compliance. Cited by MICHAEL A.YANOU, LABOUR LAW: PRINCIPLES AND
PRACTICE IN CAMEROON, (2009) REDEF,9-10
iv PAUL-GERALD POUGOUE, CODE DU TRAVAIL CAMEROUNAIS ANNOTE (1997) P. 22
v
JEAN-MARIE TCHAKOUA (ed), LES GRANDES DECISIONS DU DROIT DU TRAVAIL ET DE LA
SECURITE SOCIALE, Jus Print, 2016, 15-16
vi (1952)T.L.R. 101, IAN SMITH & AARON BAKER, SMITH & WOOD’S EMPLOYMENT LAW (2010)
Oxford University Press, P.47, note 12. See also, MICHAEL A.YANOU, LABOUR LAW: PRINCIPLES AND
PRACTICE IN CAMEROON, P. 11, NOTE 23
vii Ibid, at P.111
viii Durch den Arbeitsvertrag wird der Arbeitnehmer im Dienste eines anderen zur Leistung weisugsgebundener,
fremdbestimmter Arbeit in persoenlicher Abhaengigkeit verpflichtet. Das Weisungsrecht kann Inhalt,
Durchfuehrung, Zeit und Ort der Taetigkeit betreffen. See also 611(1) BGB
ix Such as the employment of labourers for the construction of a building or other structure, which must be
finished but the exact date of termination cannot be determined with precision. PAUL-GERARD POUOGOUE,
CODE DU TRAVAIL CAMEROUNAIS ANNOTE (1997) P.U.A. P. 28
x Section 25 (3) Cameroon labour code
xi Section 25 (1) (b) Cameroon Labour Code
xii Decree N° 93/577/PM of 15th July 1993 fixing the conditions of employment of temporal, occasional and
seasonal workers, section 6 (1) as read with section 26 (5) of the Labour code.
xiii Ibid, sections 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
xiv Ibid, Section 7 (1)
xv (1869) LR 4 CP 744 P.373, note 2
xvi Cameroon Labour code, Section 42 (1)
xvii Cameroon Labour Code, Section 38
xviii Ibid, Section 42 (1) (c)
xix Ibid, Section 38
xx (1965) 1 All E R 1069 , IAN SMITH & AARON BAKER, SMITH & WOOD’S EMPLOYMENT LAW, op
cit. , 383, note 65
xxi What has been created by agreement may be discharged by agreement
xxii Cameroon Labour code, Section 34 (2)
xxiii Suit Number HCB/5 L/98-99 cited by MICHAEL A YANOU, LABOUR LAW, PRINCIPES AND
PRACTICE IN CAMEROON, op. cit. P. 68, note 122
xxiv Cameroon Labour Code, Section 39 (4)
xxv Cameroon labour code, See section 42.
xxvi IAN SMITH & BAKER, EMPLOYMENT LAW, op.cit. 438-439
xxvii The duration of the notice is prescribed by Ministerial Order N° 15/MTPS/CJ of 26th May 1993, taking into
consideration the classification of workers and longevity.
xxviii Cameroon Labour code, Section 40(2).
xxix Cameroon Labour code, Section 84 (1) & (2)
xxx Ibid, Section 130 (1). In the Court of Appeal case, Cour d’Appel de l’Ouest, Arret n°04/Soc du 03 mars
2011, affaire Kouokam Abraham c/ Secrétariat Médical du CEBEC, cited in Les Grandes Décisions du Droit du
Travail et de la Sécurité Sociale (ed. Jean-Marie Tchakoua) op.cit. , 349, the dismissal of a staff representative
without consulting the labour inspector was fund to be null and void. The said worker had to be reinstated.
xxxi Lambropoulos Victoria E, Unravelling the Muddles of Summary Dismissal under Contacts of Employment,
(2016) 44 (2) AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS LAW REVIEW, 119-137,119. Available at
https://ssrn.com/abstract=3469938
xxxii Ibid, P. 4
xxxiii Ratified by Cameroon on 13th May 1988
xxxiv Cameroon Labour code, Section 38 (1)
xxxvxxxv (1969) 2 ALL ER 216
xxxvi app.croneri.co.uk
xxxvii Pepper v Webb supra, IAN SMITH & BAKER, EMPLOYMENT LAW, op.cit. 392-393
xxxviii See also MICHAEL A YANOU, LABOUR LAW, PINCIPLES AND PRACTICE IN CAMEROON,
(2009) REDEF, , op. cit. 72
xxxix BCA/7L/2006, Unreported, Ibid P. 73
xl Ibid, P. 73
xli PAUL-GERARD POUGOUE, CODE DU TRAVAIL CAMEROUNAIS ANNOTE, (1997) P.U.A., 64
xlii Cameroon Labour code, section 39(3)
xliii JEAN-MARIE TCHAKOUA (ed) LES GRANDES DECISIONS DU DROIT DU TRAVAIL ET DE A
SECURITE SOCIALE, (2016) Jus Print, .283-309
xliv Ibid, 290
xlv Ibid, 65
xlvi C/S arrêts n° 80 S du 14 Avril 1970 et n° 84 /S du 18 Septembre 1980
xlvii « Celle qui cause a l’employeur un préjudice réel et sérieux et qui rend impossible le maintien du travailleur
qui s’en est rendu coupable au sein de l’entreprise qui en a subi les conséquence. »
xlviii (1831) 4 C & P, P. 158. Cited by IAN SMITH & AARON BAKER, SMITH & WOOD’S EMPLOYMENT
LAW (2010) Oxford University Press, 391, note 113
xlix (1937) 3 All ER 67 PC.
l
(1967) 2 QB 279, note 119
li Suit N° CASWP/L; 10/2004 cited by MICHAEL A YANOU, LABOUR LAW: PRINCIPES AND
PRACTICE IN CAMEROON, op.cit. 76
lii CASWR/L.6/2011 (unreported)
liii Cameroon Labour code, Section 130 (4).
liv Michael A Yanou, Labour Law: Principes and Practice in Cameroon, op.cit.105
lv The employer must take account of periods of paid leave; unpaid leave, periods of suspension of the labour
contract as well as periods of professional training and internship
lvi Section 39 (3) of the labour code.
lvii MICHAEL A YANOU, LABOUR LAW: PRACTICE AND PRINCIPLES IN CAMEROON, op. cit. 96
lviii Section 36(1) labour code.
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