Teachers demand permanent status

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Hundreds of teachers who have been working for the government on a contract basis demanded permanent status as the government plans to hire some 300,000 new public servants this year.

They said that at least 70 percent of the new permanent teaching jobs should be allocated to them, particularly those whose contracts would expire this year.

The demand emerged during a gathering on Saturday of teachers from various regions who have been working on contract in state schools in Surakarta, Central Java.

Achmad Tugiran, a member of the association of teachers working on a non-permanent basis, stated that there were over 235,000 teachers working on contract who were hired in 2003 and whose contract will end later this year.

In addition, there were over 174,000 teachers hired in 2004, and whose contract will expire next year.

The plan to hire new public servants this year was announced by State Minister of Administrative Reforms Taufik Effendi recently.

Millions of people have been working as teachers, nurses and other professions on a non-permanent basis, some of them for as long as 20 years.

Under the contract system, the workers receive less pay and no added benefits such as housing, meal or transport allowances, let alone pensions.

The government has more than 3.5 million permanent public servants.

"The government should give priority to non-permanent teachers hired in 2003 as their contract will soon expire," Achmad said.

"We're facing uncertainty here (because the contract will expire). The government should not neglect us," he added.