For Petition, Non-Health Worker COVID-19 Volunteers Wisma Athletes Complain Incentives Have Not Been Paid Since July

Kemayoran Athlete House (ANTARA DOK)

JAKARTA - A non-health worker COVID-19 volunteer at Wisma Atlet Kemayoran admitted that his party had not received the incentives promised by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) or the COVID-19 Handling Task Force since July 2021.

This was conveyed in the petition entitled "Our Rights Are Taken away! BNPB Negligent in Fulfilling the Rights of Non-health worker Volunteers RSDC WAK (Emergency Hospital Handling COVID-19 Wisma Atlet Kemayoran)" on the change.org page.

The petition, which was issued on Thursday, November 26, is addressed to President Joko Widodo and BNPB. As of this afternoon, the petition has been signed by 641 people.

"Sadly, the incentive rights promised by BNPB have not yet arrived for any non-health workers from July to October 2021", reads the petition statement, quoted on Friday, November 26.

In fact, there is a statement that the incentives for non-health workers were cut, which initially received IDR 145,000 per day, to IDR 100,000 per day as tired money or daily assignments.

This is stated in the Decree of the Main Secretary as the proxy for using the BNPB budget Number 136.B of 2019 dated August 9, 2019, where the difference of IDR 45,000 is used to pay for meals for non-health workers.

In fact, according to the author of the petition, the contents of the minutes of the meeting issued by the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 for the Coordination of Non-Health Personnel with Number Red: 001/BA/RLWN-SATGAS/I/2021 dated January 21, 2021, was agreed that the incentive for non-health volunteers was IDR 145,000 without any deductions.

Also, at the beginning of the first arrival of non-health workers, it was explained that there was no additional fee for staying at the Emergency Hospital Handling COVID-19 Wisma Atlet Kemayoran.

"Non-health workers who are not provided with accommodation facilities will have the potential to increase the spread rate because they will often go in and out of the Athlete's House", he said.

Therefore, the petitioners demanded Jokowi and BNPB immediately disburse the incentives that were in arrears.

"Demanding for immediate disbursement of incentives in July 2021 which has passed the mutually agreed deadline or 2 to 3 months after the end of the term of office", he wrote.

In addition, the initiator of the petition rejected the amount of the fatigue fee set based on the Decree of the Main Secretary of BNPB Number 136.B of 2019 which was issued as of August 9, 2019 worth IDR 100,000 per day unilaterally because it was outside the previously agreed addendum.