Teachers protest over back pay

BANYUMAS, Central Java (JP): Teachers' protests continued on Wednesday, with some 700 teachers rallying at the Banyumas Regency Legislative Council to demand the disbursement of their back pay dating back to January 2001 and allowances.

"We want the local administration pay our back pay since January this year," the coordinator of the protesting teachers, Gandang Panilih, said.

"We also want the local administration to pay the same allowances as other school staff have received," he added.

He cited a Rp 180,000 (US$20) allowance received by a head of an administrative department of a school, saying teachers should be entitled to the same allowance from the government.

The teachers were eventually received by speaker of legislative council Tri Waluyo Basuki. The meeting is still in progress.

Previously, Banyumas Regent Aris Setiono told the teachers that their back pay would be disbursed in mid October.

"The administration has allocated Rp 32 billion for the back pay of some 7,000 teachers in Banyumas. (45)