3,000 teachers seek salary backpay
3,000 teachers seek salary backpay
PURBALINGGA, Central Java (JP): At least 3,000 teachers of
state elementary, junior and senior high schools in the regency
of Purbalingga thronged the local legislature building on Tuesday
demanding the disbursement of the additional backpay derived from
their salary increase in January this year.
The demonstration took place at 12:30 p.m., soon after the
teachers finished classes at their respective schools.
Waving posters and banners, the angry teachers demanded that
regent Triyono Budi Sasongko and his staff do not turn a deaf ear
to the teachers' rights.
Ngadud Harjono, a teacher in Mrebet district, Purbalingga,
said, during the demonstration, that he was entitled to a monthly
salary increase of more than Rp 200,000 starting January, 2001.
"I have yet to receive the additional amount, which by now
should have totaled Rp 1.5 million."
According to Ngadud, there are around 6,000 teachers in the
regency of Purbalingga. "If each of them is assumed to receive a
disbursement averaging Rp 1 million (from January to July), the
local administration would have to make Rp 6 billion available
for the teachers.
Ngadud said that the teachers did not want the backpay
disbursed in installments. "We will only receive a small amount
of the money if it is paid in installments. We want the whole
amount in cash."
The nationwide increase in civil servants' salaries, which
reached between 14 percent and 30 percent, was announced in April
after provincial legislative councils approved the local
administrations' budget proposals.
The government had promised to issue all backpay in July, but
failed to act on it.
Civil servants have become an additional responsibility for
regional administrations since the country adapted the Law on
Regional Autonomy on June 1 this year.
The disbursement of backpay has, since then, become the most
serious financial problem faced by all provinces and regency
administrations.
The regent
After staging the protest for two hours, the regent, whose
office is located directly across from the legislative council,
failed to show up.
This angered the protesters. Regent Triyono finally appeared
at about 3 p.m., but refused to make a swift answer to the
demonstrators.
Triyono asked to meet with representatives of the teachers,
which was agreed to by the teachers. The meeting between the
regent and 20 representatives took place at the legislature
building.
Regent Triyono said that it would be impossible for the local
administration to provide the teachers with that amount of money
all at once.
"The money from the 2001 budget has already all been
allocated. For the disbursement of the backpay of teachers and
civil servants since January, the administration will need around
Rp 17 billion. This is a very large amount of money. All we can
do is to install the disbursement once every three months."
Sticking to their initial demand, the teachers kept asking the
regent that they wanted the money in cash.
"We are fed up with promises. We want our money in cash right
now," a teacher said. "Or we will go on strike."
The regent finally agreed to pay the entire amount in
December. This means that the administration will have to provide
an even larger sum of money for the teachers. (45/sur)