The Caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme have called off their nationwide strike.
The National President, Charlotte Ashiakie Asante urged the caterers to return to work when school re-opens.On April 27, caterers declared a national strike in response to the governments failure to pay their arrears owed to them, and to raise the amount paid per child from 97 pesewas to GH3.50.
According to Kwame Amankwaah, National Organiser of the School Feeding Association, caterers will only return to the kitchen if the government agrees to increase the amount per child.
Although the strike has finally been called off, the caterers demands have still not been met.
The National President said the caterers reached this decision upon an engagement with government through the Gender Minister, the Chief Director the ministry, and the management Ghana School Feeding Programme.She said the following was agreed on in the course of the meeting with the Gender Minister, Lariba Zuweira Abudu:
Assured that the caterers 3rd term of 2022 payment would be paid within a week, and thankfully the money has been paid since last two weeks. In all, 11,052 caterers were assessed and processed for payment for the 3rd term of 2022 academic year. The payment covered 67 cooking days and 76 caterers still have their payment pending due to some challenges with their Ezwich cards.
The Minister informed us that data on all other arrears including the outstanding four arrears owed caterers since the time of Cynthia Morrison are being compiled for payment as soon as possible.
On the substantive issue of INCREMENT in the feeding grant, the Minister announced that an amount of One Cedi Twenty Pesewas (GHC1.20) had been proposed for Caterers for now. She further informed us that her Ministry is still discussing with the appropriate authorities for some addition to cushion caterers.
Madam Lariba disclosed that her administration is in serious talks with the World Bank to come on board to support caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme. And I must admit that I had the opportunity to attend one of the stakeholder meetings with the World Bank at the World Bank Ghana office on 7th February, 2023.
The Minister said that she and her team would soon embark on a nationwide engagement with caterers to identify with their challenges.
Very soon, according to the Minister, the Ministry and the School Feeding Secretariat would begin the re-engagement of all existing caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
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The Caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme have called off their nationwide strike.
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