Teachers need to organize

As the teachers bill is currently being debated by the House of Representatives (DPR), the topic of teachers' salaries has again hit the headlines. Given that education is the key to socioeconomic development, and that the salaries paid to teachers have a huge bearing on the quality of education, it is obviously important to Indonesia that teachers here are paid properly.

Indonesian teachers are relying heavily on the proposed legislation to provide them with decent salaries. While legislation is important for setting minimum standards, it might be better for teachers -- from elementary school up to university -- to seek pay increases through Collective Labor Agreements (CLAs). Chapter 11 of the Manpower Law (No.13/2003) permits CLAs for private sector employees. The Teachers Bill should specifically permit teachers who are employed as civil servants to also be able to bargain collectively.

Bargaining collectively would entail teachers unions negotiating directly with the employers to determine the most appropriate salaries. This model would be much more flexible than legislating for pay rates, as agreements can be amended quickly and tailored to specific regions and/or employers.

Unfortunately, Indonesian teachers -- especially university lecturers -- seem to have a cultural aversion to unions and collective bargaining. They see unions as the domain of manual laborers. Perhaps Indonesian teachers can learn from the many other countries where teachers from all levels and sectors have organized so as to be able to bargain more effectively and gain the salaries they deserve.

LUKE LAZARUS ARNOLD, Jakarta