UGM Lecturers Highlight Unreasonable Workloads at Yogyakarta May Day Rally

The "May Day Against" rally in Yogyakarta brought together various labor groups and academics to voice their grievances. While the focus is often on industrial workers, this year saw a significant presence from the academic community, represented by the Gadjah Mada University Workers' Union. Their participation underscores a growing solidarity between different sectors facing economic pressures and policy challenges.

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Teman-teman buruh, meskipun profesi dosen sering terlihat mentereng, tapi sebenarnya kerja kami sangatlah di luar nalar.

Primi Suharmadi, a lecturer from UGM's Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, articulated the academic struggle, drawing parallels with the plight of industrial laborers. The assertion that academic work, often perceived as prestigious, is in reality "beyond reason" resonates deeply. The demand for 24/7 availability, encompassing teaching, research, and community service, without commensurate compensation or clear boundaries, paints a stark picture of the modern academic's reality.

The financial strain is palpable, with many academics earning less than the regional minimum wage and resorting to side jobs. This not only erodes personal time but also impacts domestic responsibilities, particularly for women. The article also touches upon a critical policy shift: the reallocation of funds from higher education, specifically from the Directorate General of Higher Education, to finance the government's Free Nutritious Meal program. This move is seen as detrimental to research, limiting opportunities and discouraging academic pursuits.

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Kami seperti harus bekerja 24 jam, selain untuk mengajar, menyiapkan bahan ajar, melakukan koreksi, meneliti, hingga melakukan pengabdian masyarakat di luar jam kerja normal.

From our perspective at Tempo, this convergence of labor and academic concerns highlights systemic issues within Indonesia's economic and educational policies. The government's priorities are being questioned, particularly when initiatives like the Free Nutritious Meal program, while potentially beneficial, appear to come at the expense of higher education and research funding. The article's framing emphasizes the "unreasonable" demands placed on academics and the broader implications for the nation's intellectual capital, a perspective that might be less pronounced in international reporting focused solely on industrial labor.

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Anggaran satu hari pelaksanaan MBG yang mencapai Rp1 triliun sebenarnya mampu mendanai 100 penelitian untuk 100 orang dosen selama satu tahun penuh.