Nurses cry foul over low pay

BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan: Hundreds of nurses in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, criticized the management of Ulin General Hospital for paying below the set basic wage for the province.

"Our monthly salary is only Rp 150,000. It's difficult for us to make ends meet, especially those who are married," said one nurse, who refused to be identified, on Saturday.

The minimum wage for South Kalimantan province is Rp 377,000.

The nurses allege that their pay has never been increased, despite having been employed there for five years.

The hospital also deducts Rp 10,000 from their monthly pay for the health fund.

Ulin Hospital director Aboe Yahman said the hospital could not meet the nurses' demands for a pay rise due to limited funding. --JP