Teachers protest over back pay

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)