Outcome As School Feeding Management Dialogues With Striking Caterers

The Management of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has engaged with the striking caterers under the Programme. The meeting, which was Chaired by the Deputy National Coordinator, Mr. Abass Kwadwo Acquah and the Director of Operations, Mrs. Doris Gaba on behalf of the National Coordinator, Dr. Mrs. Gertrude Quashigah was meant to dialogue with the striking caterers to rescind their decision to embark on a nationwide strike.The Caterers, who are demanding for better condition of service, early payment of their arrears and an increment in the feeding grant per child, were also led by Mrs. Charlotte Asante, the National President of the School Feeding Caterers’ Association. The main issues raised by the caterers through their spokesperson, Mr. Dan Collins Amankwaa in the meeting include;
1. Delayed payment
2. Increment in feeding grant from 97 pesewa to Ghc3.00.
3. Non-cooking days deduction
4. JHS hot meal arrears
5. Payment alert
6. Tax clearance form
7. Regular or periodic engagements between caterers and school feeding management.

The caterers were also seeking to know whether the envisaged increment will take effect from the first term of 2023 or not. They also were seeking to know when the actual figure/amount for the increment will be announced.

The Director of Operations, the Deputy National Coordinator and the Principal Accountant of GSFP, took turns to address all the concerns of the Caterers. It was finally agreed between the GSFP Management and the Caterers that the 3rd term of 2022 arrears owed Caterers would be paid very soon to cushion the Caterers to cook.

It is therefore expected of the caterers to go back to cook, whiles negotiation for the increment assumes its final conclusion, because it is not right for caterers to declare nationwide strike before opting to sit on the negotiating table with the Government and other relevant stakeholders.

However, the National President of the Caterers Association, Mrs. Charlotte Asante pleaded with the GSFP Management to give her and her executives two weeks to deliberate with their members in the regions on whether or not they could accept the plea for them to resume work. The both parties agreed to reconvene for another meeting to finalize their decision on May 16, 2023.

Source: ghanaxpress.com