‘Terminate our appointments and we will go on naked demonstration’ - School feeding caterers threaten

Juliana Cudjoe, the Greater Accra president for School Feeding Caterers has stated that they will not call off their strike until they receive their arrears and an increase in feeding fee per child.

She maintained that the caterers have been pushed to the wall, and they have no other option than to embark on the strike action. She added that the caterers are determined to fight for their rights and ensure that they are treated fairly and justly.

“They are owing us two terms, they paid us the first term, and the second term was when the teachers went on strike, they asked us to cook for the children… they paid us the first term so it is left with the third term and we have started with first term also, so, if you go and borrow from someone without paying will the person be willing to offer you help again? So, we are saying we are not going to cook today or tomorrow until the government comes to tell us that he will add two Ghana cedis or three Ghana cedis to the money and pay our third term money because we don’t even have one Ghana cedi to cook,” she said.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM Midday News on April 27, 2023, Juliana Cudjoe warned that they will not back down until their demands are met, and if the government terminates their appointment, they will go on naked demonstration to express their displeasure.

“If we get the money today, we will start cooking tomorrow. If we get our third term payment today and the president comes out to tell us that they will increase the fee to three Ghana cedis by the next day, you will see that we will be feeding the children. But if they won't respect us or tell us anything, then we are firm in our decision.

“…if they attempt to take the feeding from any caterer, we will go naked, if they want us to disgrace ourselves, we will, when a woman goes naked, it is a curse, and we will go naked. We will go naked if you people (media) can televise on your TV, we will see.

“We will go naked for them to see that we are serious. if they like let them venture that they are taking someone’s contract. They should remove us and see what will happen, naked demonstration is what will happen,” she added.

Caterers under the School Feeding Programme declared a nationwide strike on April 27, 2023.

The aggrieved caterers explained that the declaration of the nationwide strike is due to the government’s failure to pay them their arrears and increase the amount per child.

The caterers who have declared the strike are drawn from the 16 regions of Ghana.

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AM/SARA