T

he Newspaper Publishers Union (SPS) has admitted that 20 percent of its 500 members, as well as a huge number of media companies not affiliated with the union, pay their journalists below the provincial minimum wage (UMP).

'€œThe SPS will tighten its membership, as this concerns journalist remuneration. Many media companies fail to pay their journalists in accordance with the UMP.

'€œWe recorded that around 20 percent of the 500 SPS members still pay their journalists below the UMP, while there are currently thousands of media companies not affiliated with the SPS,'€ said SPS acting head Ridlo Eisy on the sidelines of a press conference for the First ASEAN Summit for State-Owned Enterprises and Media and SPS Congress in Batam, Riau Islands, on Wednesday.

According to Ridlo, during the congress the SPS will make a regulation requesting that media companies work well in order to be able to pay their journalists well.

'€œIt isn'€™t fair for journalists to work well but be paid low while they are enticed with money outside,'€ he said Ridlo.

The SPS would be unable to ensure that the regulation was effective or that media companies complied with it, but expected that they would abide by the rules, he added.

'€œCurrently, the SPS'€™ authority is not like during the New Order administration, when those who wished to publish a newspaper had to get a recommendation from the SPS and the newsprint quota was also set. Now, they are virtually free without limits, but the current condition is better compared to then,'€ said Ridlo.

He added the SPS congress in Batam would elect a leader for the next period to replace Dahlan Iskan, chairman of the Jawa Pos media group and former state-owned enterprises minister.

'€œBut it looks like Dahlan Iskan will be reelected,'€ said Ridlo.

The SPS congress in Batam will be held in conjunction with National Press Day. President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo is slated to inaugurate commemorations for the day on Feb. 9.