This procedure is often referred to as the internal machinery of dispute settlement. It is a pre-agreed and self-imposed mechanism by the parties to resolve the grievances without resorting to industrial actions. The procedure is essential in avoiding the occurrence of collective disputes in companies. This procedure enhances bilateral negotiations at the place of occurrence.
Grievance procedure differ from organization to organization and from industry to industry. Irrespective of the variations, the basic principle of the procedure is generally the same. In practice, all collective agreements in Cameroon provides for multi-step grievance procedure.
A typical grievance policy reads thus “any employee who considers that he has been treated unjustly or unfairly shall be given the opportunity to submit such grievance and have it examined in accordance with an appropriate procedure as laid down without any discrimination or victimization for doing so”.