School superintendents reject pay

School superintendents reject pay

MEDAN, North Sumatra: At least 116 superintendents of junior and senior high schools in North Sumatra have refused their monthly salaries to protest a decision to cut their allowances starting this month.

The school supervisors, employed by the province's education office, lodged on Monday a complaint to the local legislative council in the North Sumatra capital of Medan.

The protesters were not able to meet North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin earlier in the day to voice their grievances.

F.J. Pinem, who chairs the provincial branch of the Indonesian School Supervisors' Association, said the payment of allowances was unilaterally discontinued by the government without any clear reasons.

"The allowances have been suspended until we can submit proof of their appointment in the form of certificates issued by the provincial education office," he told The Jakarta Post.

He said the requirement was peculiar as the supervisors had occupied the post for decades.

In response, local councillor Erwan Parlinda told the superintendents that the legislature would soon question the governor about the reason behind the move to suspend the allowances. --JP