The School Feeding Program's caterers claim that they won't end their strike until the government pays them GH¢3.50 per child. After the government refused to pay their back debts and raise the amount per child, the irate caterers announced a national strike. While the government works to ensure the release of funds for the payment of outstanding arrears, the Ghana School Feeding Secretariat is pleading with school feeding caterers to reconsider their decision to stop providing their services.
On Tuesday, April 4, some caterers who participate in the government's school feeding program in the Ashanti Region went on strike in demand of arrears payment and an increase in the feeding grant. "To determine how best to address the situation, we are involving the pertinent stakeholders and the caterers. We only recently paid all the districts for the second term of the 2022 academic year. As a result, we are pleading with the caterers to change their mind and continue cooking for us.
Following the government's failure to pay debts owed to them, the caterers threatened to stop working and made the choice to discontinue their services.
The caterers claim that the current amount is unsustainable due to the current situation of the economy and the high cost of food commodities, which is why they are also calling for an increase in the amount that the government pays every child daily from 97 pesewas to 3 Ghana cedis.
The monies will soon be distributed, according to Alfa Siba, Head of Public Relations at the Ghana School Feeding Secretariat.
The National Organiser of the School Feeding Association, Kwame Amankwaah, stated in an interview with Eyewitness News that they will only return to the kitchen if the government agrees to raise the money per child from 97 pesewas to GH3.50.
He claims that because of the sharp increase in the cost of goods and services, caterers are finding it challenging to handle the 97 pesewas in arrears that the government provides them.
“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. 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 we will return to the kitchen. But without calling us, we will not go and cook for the kids. We will return if only they agree on the amount to be given us."
In the event that the government agrees to their demands, Mr. Amankwaah claimed they may bargain with their creditors to obtain more supplies. If the government offers us full confidence that our demand will be met, we will tell our creditors that we would pay them later, he said.
The School Feeding Association's national coordinator expressed sadness about their inability to prepare meals for the pupils who depend on them. We are not at all pleased about being unable to prepare meals for the kids. Some students even attend schools for the food since they know they will always have something to eat there. Mr. Amankwaah emphasized that sometimes we sacrifice and buy them water and other stuff.
He expressed the hope that the government and caterers will settle the issue amicably.
We are currently discussing the failure of the increment, the payment delay, the underpayment, and the arrears. We would be fine with it if they could guarantee that they could boost the amount for us to at least 3.50 pesewas or something. The secretariat was contacted, but no response was received. When we travel there, all they ever say is to be patient because the government is working on it and everything is on the way. As I speak with you right now, there is no response from anywhere in the nation.
Starting today, April 27, caterers won't be preparing meals for students in the classroom.
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