Indonesian Judges Demanded for Better Salary

Jakarta | badilag.net

Indonesian judges planed to conduct a strike action when the government did not increase their salary immediately.

“It is not a bluff. We are very serious and we will not give up until the Indonesian government meets our goal,” Sunoto, a judge of a district court in Aceh.

To support this strike action, many judges had donated some money. The money donated has reached more than IDR 37 million.

In a meeting with the Commission III of the House of Representative, Marhc 28, 2012, the Director General of the Religious Courts, Wahyu Widiana was asked by the Commission that the Supreme Court had to increase the salary of judges.

The Commission regretted why the Indonesian government was not care of welfare of judges. Indonesian judges were poorly paid. They faced a serious problem in their economical life including needs of housing, of transportation etc.

As reported by thejakartapost.com, the Judicial Commission was making a proposal to government to increase judges’ salary. And the Commission planed to arrange a meeting the Administrative Reforms Ministry, State Secretariat and Presidential Advisory Council on April 9.

The Indonesian government did not increase allowance for judges for 11 years and salary for 4 years. It brings about the salary for public servants higher than judges’ salary.

Some people were in serious debate on this matter. Some of them would rather urge judges to enhance their performance meanwhile others said that welfare of judges had to be main focus of the government.

Wahyu Widiana agreed with the struggle of judges to increase their salary. But, he suggested that they not conduct it when they had a court session.

(Rahmat Arijaya)