Lombok teachers on strike over compulsory 'alms'<\/p>\n
Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post\/Mataram<\/p>\n
Thousands of teachers in East Lombok regency have been on strike
\nsince Thursday to protest against the implementation of a bylaw
\npassed two years ago requiring compulsory deductions from their
\nsalaries, ostensibly for charitable purposes.<\/p>\n
The strike has closed 400 schools ranging from the elementary
\nto high school levels. "We will continue our strike until the
\nbylaw is revoked," said teacher Eni Hasnidawati.<\/p>\n
Besides demanding that the East Lombok administration revoke
\nthe bylaw that obliges teachers to pay 2.5 percent of their total
\nsalaries for charitable purposes each month, the teachers also
\ndemanded the administration refund them the deductions that had
\nbeen made to their salaries over the past two years.<\/p>\n
The "alms" bylaw was the brainchild of the Moch. Ali bin
\nDahlan administration and affects all local government workers in
\nthe regency, not just teachers.<\/p>\n
The 2.5 percent deduction comes on top of normal tax, and has
\nbeen particularly keenly felt since the fuel price hikes on Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
Protests against the compulsory deduction have been staged by
\nvarious quarters since the bylaw took effect two years ago, but
\nhave so far fallen on deaf ears.<\/p>\n
Despite the continuing protests, East Lombok administration
\nspokesman Sahabudin said they only involved a small proportion of
\nEast Lombok government workers. He claimed the regency government
\nhad conducted a survey that found that 74 percent of civil
\nservants actually agreed with the deductions.<\/p>\n
Separately, West Nusa Tenggara provincial administration
\nspokesman Lalu Gita Aryadi admitted on Friday that the bylaw was
\ncontroversial. While the idea of donating 2.5 percent of income
\nto charity is required by Islam, enforcing this against a
\nbackdrop of financial hardship among teachers could be considered
\nunwise.<\/p>\n
He said the provincial administration could not intervene in
\nthe issue as it came within the purview of the East Lombok
\nregency administration.<\/p>\n
In a separate development, a leading educator threw his weight
\nbehind the teachers' strike. The bylaw had only worsened the lot
\nof teachers and therefore should be annulled, said the chairman
\nof the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI)'s West Nusa
\nTenggara branch, Lalu Subki.<\/p>\n
"It's unfair to force the teachers to pay these alms as they
\nare so badly paid," said Subki as quoted by Antara news agency on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Islam requires alms-giving as part of the effort to promote
\nequity in society, especially at Idul Fitri. It also encourages
\nthe haves to donate 2.5 percent of their income to the poor.<\/p>",
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