Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – The Jakarta branch of Indonesia's Alliance of Independent Journalists, or AJI, urged the country's press council on Sunday (14/01) to raise the minimum wage of journalists working in the capital.

AJI Jakarta sent a survey in December to 31 national and international media publications in the capital that asked respondents how well their wages covered their basic needs, the organization said in a statement. The survey found most wages for journalists working in Jakarta to be insufficient.

Based on the survey, AJI Jakarta recommends that the minimum wage for Jakarta's journalists in 2018 should be raised to Rp 7.96 million ($596) per month. The organization said the proposed wages should be guaranteed until a worker's third year of tenure.

The survey found many media outlets paid their journalists below Jakarta's minimum wage in 2017 of Rp 3.35 million, even for journalists with over 10 years work experience. Jakarta's 2018 minimum wage is Rp 3.65 million.

"AJI Jakarta urges the press council to change media company wage standardization... According to AJI, journalists' wages must be higher because [the job] requires special skills, high risks and susceptibility to be affected by legal danger," the association said.

Nurhasim, chairman of AJI Jakarta, said that proper salaries would support journalists to work professionally, which can improve the quality of journalism in the country.

Besides proper wages, the association also said that workers should be guaranteed health insurance as well as other rights like maternity leaves and breast feeding rooms.

AJI is one of Indonesia's journalist organizations under the National Press Council.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/journalists-jakarta-paid-little-aji/