Harapan Kita nurses stage rally

Harapan Kita nurses stage rally

JAKARTA (JP): At least 200 nurses from West Jakarta's Harapan
Kita Child and Maternity Hospital staged a peaceful demonstration
on Wednesday to demand a significant increase in their welfare
allowance.

The protesters' spokeswoman Martha Yessy said their monthly
allowance was only between Rp 100,000 and Rp 140,000 a month,
compared to between Rp 300,000 and Rp 1 million received by non-
medical staff at the hospital.

"Nurses are the front line and important employees, so why are
we paid a lower allowance than other staff?" Martha, who claimed
to represent the hospital's 400 nurses, said.

The nurses, she said, were demanding an increase in their
welfare allowance to a maximum of Rp 600,000 per month.

The nurses, who were off duty, started the rally in the
hospital compound at about 9 a.m.

The hospital was once operated by the Harapan Kita foundation,
a charitable organization chaired by former president Soeharto.
Soeharto handed over the hospital over the government on July 30
of this year. Two other hospital's owned by the foundation were
handed over at the sane time.

The hospital's finance director, Sutono, who met the nurses,
offered to increase the nurses allowance to Rp 300,000 a month.

The offer was rejected and the nurses gave the hospital's
management one week to meet their demands, after which they will
hold another demonstration. (jun)