Five-day week to be launched selectively<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After a trial program that has run for more than
\na year, the government has decided that not all of its employees
\nwill enjoy a shorter, five-day working week.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Administrative Reforms T.B. Silalahi told a
\nhearing with the House of Representatives yesterday that the
\nfive-day working week would be introduced in selected provinces
\nand regencies only. The reason, he said, was that not all areas
\nare ready for the shorter working week.<\/p>\n
Silalahi did not say when the five-day week would be
\nintroduced. He said that a presidential decree on the change was
\ncurrently being prepared.<\/p>\n
Among the employees who will enjoy the five-day working week
\nwill be those of central government agencies and most provincial
\nadministrations, including Jakarta's.<\/p>\n
Most of those who will continue to work six days are the
\nemployees of regency administrations, particularly those in
\nremote areas.<\/p>\n
\"Our study has found that the five-day week cannot be
\nimplemented simultaneously,\" Silalahi told the House's Commission
\nII, which is responsible for state administration and domestic
\npolitics.<\/p>\n
Silalahi said the shorter working week would not be extended
\nto government agencies which provide vital services, such as
\nhospitals, fire stations and banks.<\/p>\n
The main aim of introducing the shorter working week is to
\nimprove civil servants' productivity and their service to the
\npublic, Silalahi said.<\/p>\n
The five-day week will also allow civil servants to save on
\ntransportation and other expenses normally incurred in traveling
\nto and from work, the minister said. He added that, furthermore,
\nthe shorter working week would enable the government employees
\nconcerned to spend more time with their families.<\/p>\n
Hopes that civil servants would be able to spend significantly
\nlonger periods of time with their children were dashed when the
\ngovernment scrapped a trial run of a five-day week for schools
\nonly one month after it was launched in September last year.<\/p>\n
Parents and religious leaders complained that a shorter school
\nweek would mean that their children would have to spend longer
\nhours at school between Monday and Friday, at the expense of
\nafternoon religious classes.<\/p>\n
Legislators agreed yesterday that the introduction of five-day
\nworking week should be carried out selectively.<\/p>\n
Referring to the trial program, Ali Hardi Kiai Demak of the
\nUnited Development Party said the longer working hours that the
\nfive-day working entailed had left many government employees with
\neven less to do, especially in the afternoon. (imn)<\/p>",
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