SIS employees demand salary raise<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Around 30 local employees of the Singapore International School
\n(SIS) in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, staged a protest on
\nWednesday to demand a pay raise, improved conditions and health
\ninsurance as well as free schooling for their children.<\/p>\n
The protest prompted the school management to suspend all
\nclasses on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The employees, who were observed chatting in the schoolyard,
\nhad written out their demands on banners and placards.<\/p>\n
Most of them were low-level employees, including janitors,
\nsecurity guards and administrative as well as maintenance staff.<\/p>\n
Over a dozen officers from the South Jakarta Police had been
\ndeployed to the school.<\/p>\n
\"We have five demands. Because our salaries are too low, we
\nwant the school to raise (our salary). We also want to be
\ninvolved in drafting a new collective labor agreement,\" Asroni,
\nthe employees' negotiator, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said that their salaries ranged from just over Rp 700,000
\nto just over Rp 900,000 per month.<\/p>\n
Other demands included broader health insurance that included
\nout-patient medication and funds to finance the schooling of
\nemployees' children.<\/p>\n
The school's marketing and relations director Peter JM Koning
\nsaid that only a few employees were not satisfied with the
\ncurrent conditions.<\/p>\n
\"We have discussed (the issues) with them. We are always open
\nto negotiation. I don't think these people know what they are
\ndoing. They have been manipulated and somebody behind them is
\ntrying to use this to show that this school is not safe,\" he told
\nthe Post.<\/p>\n
After several hours of negotiation, attended by officials from
\nthe Jakarta Labor Agency, the employees and the school's
\nmanagement agreed on 2.5 percent annual pay raises, adjusted
\ncontracts and more comprehensive health insurance.<\/p>\n
\"The protest ended peacefully. We shook hands, we made an
\nagreement. There will be no lay offs but there will also be no
\nintimidation of foreign staff and students,\" Konings said.<\/p>\n
Asroni said they had agreed to call off the protest and go to
\nwork on Thursday as usual.<\/p>\n
\"We will work as usual tomorrow. However, if the school fails
\nto keep its promises, we will stage another protest,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sis-employees-demand-salary-raise-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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