A meeting to discuss the problem most companies grapple with held in Bonanjo on June 24, 2015.

Having a case settled on time can save companies a great deal. Instead of going to court, which sometimes takes time and hinders work, people can have their cases settled by private individuals. The notion of arbitration and mediation in companies was discussed in Douala on June 24, 2015, at the Cameroon business guild, Gicam headquarters, with the help of a visiting French specialist, Olivier Cuperlier.

Qualifying arbitration as a sort of private justice managed by private people, the Paris-based Associate Advocate pointed to a growing resort to arbitration than law courts as good because of its rapidity, neutrality in international matters, technicality, confidentiality and ease of execution across borders. The problem, to him, is making good use of arbitration, having proper arbitration centres and ensuring that they are well adapted to the needs of companies. Cameroon has good lawyers, but proper institutions or centres are needed for their functioning. Reason why the meeting by the Arbitration Centre of Gicam was to make sure that arbitrators and companies get good information on arbitration and mediation.

Participants were briefed on choosing arbitrators, especially those operating in institutions or centres. Marie Abessolo Nfono of Onyx Allied Services Cameroon told Cameroon Tribune that poor arbitration and mediation is a problem most companies grapple with often.  She made allusions to laxity by arbitrators and the fact that the law does not properly engage arbitration and mediation. As a result, arbitrators do as they like. “Of the two kinds of arbitration, institutional and ad hoc arbitration, the latter has a poor reputation in most companies and needs clear definition by the law,” she explained.

Abessolo called for prudence in writing work contracts. Where certain clauses are poorly written, it is often a problem to the company or between companies and workers.