JOGJA (KU) – Jumingan (46) was spirited, swinging a crowbar to a pile of wet garbage after the overnight rain. Jumingan, put the combination of waste into a basket to be transported by truck.
Jumingan with three of his co-workers, Marsihono, Murdyanto, and Sumardiyono have the duty to collect waste from the waste tanks in Faculty of Biology, Pharmacy, Medicine, Dentistry, and the surrounding Sekip housing area everyday.
It takes an hour for Jumingan to move 4-6 cubic garbage only from one waste tank. In fact, there are several tanks that they have to haul in one day. "Usually, it takes one hour to get the garbage out of the tank. When we are fit, it is no problem. Sometimes we get sick, so we need more time to do it," said the man born in Sleman, December 4, 1964.
Jumingan completes his work at around 11:00. Furthermore, one truck of garbage is taken to the Piyungan landfill. Jumingan can enjoy lunch after one o’clock. For lunch, he does not have to spend his personal money. Together with four colleagues, including the driver, they get additional money from the sale of trash that used to be sold to collectors. "In average, we can get Rp60,000 per week. Although it is small, but it helps us buy food while on the street," he said.
His job does not make Jumingan feel inferior; moreover that he has been working for 25 years. Jumingan still remembers the first time he came to UGM in 1983, he was only paid Rp500 – Rp12,500. "They would cut my salary if I did not come to work," said the civil servant. Working with trash, dirt and smell that get stuck to the clothes is not strange to him. He never complained. For him, it is the risk of his job. "The smell of urine and rubbish is a usual thing," said the man working in the Cleaning and Gardening Unit.
His wife has never complained if Jumingan brings his dirty clothes home. Jumingan, however, does not want to give more burden to his wife. He would wash his own clothes. "My dirty shirt equals a bucket of laundry at home, so, I’d better wash my own shirt," said the father of three children.
There seems to be no regret on Jumingan’s face though he is only a waste collector. He looked very happy when he was photographed. Jumingan directly posed, swinging the crowbar into a pile of garbage. The happiness, perhaps, is caused by the fact that people very rarely want to capture the lives of workers like himself in a photograph. He never complains whether working in the rain or under the sun. Otherwise, the garbage will pile up and decay. If this happens, he and his co-workers would be complained by professors who live in Sekip.