Caterers under the School Feeding Programme have served notice that they will reconsider their industrial action should government agree to their GH¢3.50 per child request.
This follows the caterers’ decision to lay down their tools and stop cooking for school children starting today, April 27, 2023.
Speaking in a Citi FM interview, the National Organiser of the School Feeding Caterers Association, Kwame Amankwaah bemoaned the paltry sum given them compared to the soaring prices of food ingredients.
He lamented “97 pesewas for a child, how? Check around, one egg is GH¢3, how do you cook for a child for 97 pesewas? And you are asking us to go and cook, things are expensive and the amount given us is woefully inadequate. If they are able to give us at least GH¢3.50 per a child we can manage it.”
He stressed that, the caterers would resume work “If they [school feeding secretariat] call us today that they have understood our situation we should go and cook and that they will make sure that government pays us GH¢3.50.”
Mr. Amankwaah noted that they are unhappy that they can’t cook for the children which is also another way of retaining them in school.
The National Organiser also complained about the non payment of arrears owed them.
He was of the view that they can work out a negotiation with their suppliers and return to cooking if government gives them assurances that their demands would be met.