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)