Teachers lament unpaid salaries

TANGERANG: Substitute teachers working at hundreds of elementary school in Tangerang regency since June last year claim they have not received their salaries.

Mulyadi, who works in Mauk district, said some colleagues had received four-month pay packages.

They received Rp 1.84 million (US$216.4) for their June- September salaries, and another Rp 1.84 million for November through February.

Doddy, a teacher in Pamulang, said he had received a total of Rp 3,680,000 just last month.

"They paid me for only eight months even though I've been working nine months. They forgot to pay my October salary," he said.

Mulyadi said 5,600 substitute teachers had repeatedly demanded an explanation from the regency's Education Agency but had been ignored.

Banten Education Agency secretary Hisyam implied there had been problems with dispersing their salaries simply because it was the first time the agency had recruited substitute teachers.

"We are still waiting for the disbursement of funds from the Ministry of National Education," he added. --JP