110,000 city employees to receive back pay late

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration announced on Tuesday that it could not disburse six-months back pay totaling Rp 300 billion (US$3.3 million) for its 110,000 civil servants on schedule in the middle of this month due to some technical problems.

City administration spokesman Muhayat said the disbursement could not be made since the city office of the national education ministry had yet to finalize its reports on the number of teachers in its 421 junior and senior high schools.

"Until now, the office has only reported employees in 200 schools," Muhayat told reporters at City Hall.

He said the office, according to the schedule, should have completed its report on the number of employees on Sept. 11 and the administration planned to disburse the back pay on Monday.

He said the city had prepared the Rp 300 billion in back pay which was taken from the Rp 1.3 trillion fund allocated in the 2001 City Budget for civil servants' salaries.

"The money is already here. If the city office of the national education ministry completes the data this month, at least we could disburse it by the middle of next month," he said.

Asked whether the city could disburse back pay to employees whose data had been completed, Muhayat said it could not be done as it would cause protests.

"We will give the back pay to all employees. If some of them receive it while the others do not, it would create problems," he said.

Meanwhile councillor Widarni Daryoto of the City Council's Commission C for financial and budgetary affairs, urged the administration to disburse the back pay soon.

"The payment of the salaries and back pay of the administration's employees is an urgent matter. It should be quickly disbursed," Widarni of the Golkar Party said.

She urged the administration's officials concerned to take the matter seriously as it concerned thousands of low-ranking employees, including teachers.

"And the back pay should be given in full. The administration should not allow any deduction to it," she said.

Thousands of teachers staged protests recently across the country to demand the disbursement of their back pay. (jun)