P2G Urges Jokowi To Set Minimum Wage For Honorary And Private Teachers

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The National Coordinator of the Education and Teacher Association (P2G) Satriwan Salim urged President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to regulate the minimum wage for non-ASN teachers, namely honorary and private teachers.

Satriawan asked Jokowi to issue a presidential regulation (perpres) regarding the regulation of the minimum wage. This he expressed in order to improve the welfare of teachers.

"The urgency of this Presidential Regulation on the minimum wage standard for non-State Civil Apparatus (ASN) teachers is to protect and ensure the welfare of non-ASN teachers, namely honorary teachers, including private school or madrasah teachers," said Satriwan in his statement, Thursday, November 25.

Although there are already government employee teachers with work agreements (PPPK) as part of the ASN, Satriwan said that it has not accommodated the existence of honorary teachers, which are almost 1.5 million people.

Bearing in mind, the selection of new Government employees with employment agreement (PPPK) teachers accommodates 173 thousand honorary teachers from formations that have opened as many as 506 thousand nationally.

Satriwan said that the average salary for honorary and private teachers is quite sad. "The fact is that the wages of honorary teachers and private school/madrasah teachers are very low, far below the minimum wage for workers," he said.

Based on the report of the P2G network in the regions, he gave the example of the UMK for workers in Karawang Regency of IDR 4.7 million per month, but the wages of honorary teachers at State Elementary Schools there are only IDR 1.2 million per month.

Then the provincial/district minimum wage (UMP/UMK) in West Sumatra is IDR 2.4 million per month, but the wages of honorary teachers at the state elementary school level in Tanah Datar Regency are only IDR 500 thousand to IDR 800 thousand per month.

"The government can issue a minimum wage standard for workers, while for teachers it is not. If the wages of honorary teachers are left unchecked, the amount is determined by the school principal and the local government in nominal terms as they like, clearly violating Law Number 14 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers," he added.