There are reportedly about 7,700 judges employed at Indonesia’s district, provincial, and national levels. - PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PEXELS via The Straits Times/ANN
JAKARTA (The Straits Times/ANN): Judges across Indonesia on Monday (Oct 7) began a week-long strike to demand higher salaries, arguing that wages have remained stagnant over the past 12 years despite rising inflation.
The strike, organised by the Solidaritas Hakim Indonesia (Solidarity of Indonesian Judges) movement, involved the judges using up their leave from Oct 7 to Oct 11.
It was quieter than usual at some courts on the first day of the strike.
In Banten, the westernmost province of Java, the Serang District Court was forced to postpone criminal and corruption trials due to the lack of judges that day, reported Kompas.
There was also less than the usual amount of activity in a court in Bekasi, east of Jakarta, according to Jakarta Globe. The court was able to schedule four hearings for the day.
A court spokesman said: “We cannot disappoint those seeking justice, and our public service must go on.”
In solidarity with their colleagues on strike, judges on duty wore white ribbons on their left arms, said the Globe.
Mr Zulkifli Atjo, a spokesman for the Central Jakarta District Court, which proceeded with its scheduled trials, said that some cases needed to be concluded due to time-sensitive matters.
“We fully support the ongoing movement, but there are compelling reasons to hold certain hearings. We cannot neglect our responsibility to provide public service,” he was quoted by Jakarta Globe as saying.
There are reportedly about 7,700 judges employed at Indonesia’s district, provincial, and national levels.
Mr Fauzan Arrasyid, the spokesman for Solidarity of Indonesian Judges, had told Tempo on Oct 1 that over 1,600 judges had pledged to join the strike, and that more were expected.
The pay for a low-ranking judge is approximately 16.6 million rupiah (S$1,380) a month, based on a 2012 government regulation stating that the basic salary for a first-year judge is 2 million rupiah, with an added 14.6 million rupiah of benefits.
Besides wage issues, Mr Fauzan said in an interview with The Jakarta Post that the official residences and transport facilities available to judges were inadequate.
There is also a lack of security for judges while they are on duty, he said.
Judges in Indonesia have fought for the improvement of their welfare for at least five years, said Mr Fauzan, but a lack of action has resulted in the ongoing strike, which he added was being carried out “with a heavy heart but full of confidence”.
The judges on strike are also expected to stage a protest in Jakarta.
Mr Fauzan said those heading to Jakarta will “hold an audience, stage a protest, and meet with relevant institutions and national figures who care about issues surrounding the justice system”.
The movement has urged the Indonesian government to pass a Bill – which was first deliberated in 2015 but has been reportedly stalled in the House of Representatives since 2019 – that would provide a legal framework for the employment of judges.
The Bill would outline the judges’ rights and obligations, and would give a commission involvement in the recruitment, promotion, and monitoring of judges, as well as sanction those it finds guilty of violations. - The Straits Times/ANN
