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Judges plan to strike for higher pay, better conditions
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Jakarta Corruption Court judges hear the testimonies of graft case defendants in this undated file photo. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
J
udges are planning to stage what is expected to be the largest strike in the history of the courts next week to demand higher salaries and allowances, demands that are supported by the Judicial Commission and legal activists.
More than 1,300 judges from courts across the country, organized under the Solidaritas Hakim Indonesia (Solidarity of Indonesian Judges) movement, will take leave for five consecutive days from Oct. 7 to 11 to urge the government to improve judges’ welfare.
Movement spokesperson Fauzan Arrasyid said that while some judges from various regions would travel to Jakarta to stage a protest at an undisclosed location, others would show their support by staying at home or clearing their court schedules during the demonstration.
At the heart of their movement is a demand for the government to revise the 2012 government regulation on the financial rights and facilities of judges, which would pave the way for an increase in judges’ salaries and allowances.
Fauzan told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the regulation sets judges’ salaries on a par with those of other civil servants, despite their greater responsibilities, as well as allowances that have remained stagnant for the past 12 years amid ongoing inflation.
“[Pay stagnation] is state interference in the judiciary that poses a serious threat to judges. The salaries and allowances for judges must be commensurate with their responsibilities and the risks of the job, while also considering inflation or the economy of the country,” Fauzan said.
He also pointed out the inadequacy of official residences and transportation facilities available to judges across Indonesia and the lack of security protection while they are on duty.
