APSN Banner

300% hike in allowances for teachers

Source
Agence France Presse - April 18, 2000

Jakarta – Underpaid teachers will see a 300-per-cent increase in allowances, reports said yesterday as teachers in parts of the country began a three-day strike to demand better pay.

The decision was reached during a meeting with civil servants earlier yesterday, National Education Minister Yahya Muhaimin was reported by Detikcom news agency as saying. "The agreement will be reported to the President," Mr Yahya said.

The minister had said previously that cash shortages would only allow a rise of some 100 per cent. This would cost 1.7 trillion rupiah (S$385.4 million), said the Finance Ministry's director for budgetary affairs, Anshari Ritonga.

Five agreements were reached at the meeting, Mr Yahya said, including measures to improve teachers' welfare and narrow the salary disparities between teachers. It also agreed to review a controversial government decision introduced this month to raise allowances and compensation for senior officials.

Indonesian teachers, among the lowest paid of the country's civil servants, have been conducting strikes and street protests across the country in the past two weeks. About 20,000 teachers in the eastern Indonesian province of West Nusatenggara began a three- day strike yesterday to demand better pay, said the Antara news agency.

Teachers are not the only winners. Transport owners have also reached an agreement with local government regarding price hikes. Starting next month, regular bus fares would rise 66.7 per cent to 500 rupiah and minibus fares would go up 40 per cent to 700 rupiah. Taxivans too will have their fares raised by 140 per cent to 1,200 rupiah.

The public transport owners' association had earlier sought a 300-per-cent fare rise and had threatened a mass strike but the plan was cancelled after discussions with the city authorities. Jakarta, a city of 11 million people, depends heavily on its public-transport system, mostly buses and minibuses, operated by the private sector.

Country