School feeding caterers in the Northern Region are divided over an industrial action they have been directed to obey.
While others are complying with the directive to suspend cooking, others have also ignored it and gone ahead to cook for pupils.
A visit to the Jisonayili E/A Basic School in the Northern Region saw caterers at work and served the pupils meals.
The matron at the school, Lucy Kannae explains her reason for defying the strike.
“It’s true that our colleague caterers are on strike but all of us cannot go on strike and allow the pupils to go hungry. Things have gone up astronomically, so we are pleading with our President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to increase the 97 pesewas. It’s not the best at all. But all of us cannot strike because some of the kids depend on the food we cook for them. Some of the parents are unable to cater for their kids, so they fall on us.
“So if you are a caterer, and you are well-to-do, you have to consider and cook for the kids. Because we have not been cooking some of the kids have not been coming to school. The payments should be fast-tracked,” he stated.
Caterers under the School Feeding Programme declared a nationwide strike following the government’s failure to pay them their arrears and increase the amount per child.
The aggrieved caterers say until the government agrees to pay them GH¢3.50 per child, they won’t call off their strike.
