To this end, on 20 December 2022, the Local Staff Committee sent a letter to the Director-General of HR asking her to set up rapidly, in consultation with staff, a mechanism, which would reduce prices for the lowest salaries, and to consider the opening of more cafeterias and canteens.

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We are disappointed with the answer given on 14 February, in which we were told that the only possibility to reduce prices for low-wage earners would be to raise tariffs for other categories of staff. In fact, this does not respond to the proposals made by TAO, whose only wish is to see a high-quality service adequate for all staff.

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In addition, the administration considers that the current offer is sufficiently diverse and includes various dishes (dish of the day, pasta, soup, etc.) at relatively low prices compared to the prices of other catering sites in the neighbourhood.

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In addition, as regards to the opening of the new cafeterias or canteens, our administration replied that a 2023 schedule was already planned, subject to the presence of staff in the buildings and the possibility of finding on-trade staff.

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As a reminder, TAO had proposed a shift of direction in the management of this dossier in this way:

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• Immediate reopening of at least 1 cafeteria per Directorate-General, or in some cases in the case of a DG nearby, 1 cafeteria for each 1000 employees

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• More social prices by creating lower prices for staff with lower salaries

• Significant improvement in the quality of meals and adaptation of the quantities served

Our proposals and those recommended by the Staff Committee are feasible. TAO will continue to follow this matter closely and will not forget to remind our administration that catering is a fundamental aspect of health and well-being for its staff.