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Jakarta Post

City'€™s non-formal workers get ready for exodus

On her way: Sartini (center) waits for a bus in the Damri bus terminal in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Thu, August 1, 2013

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City'€™s non-formal workers get ready for exodus On her way: Sartini (center) waits for a bus in the Damri bus terminal in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday. The domestic worker, who has been working for a Betawi family in Jakarta for three months, will return to her hometown in Wonosobo, Central Java, for two weeks. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira) (center) waits for a bus in the Damri bus terminal in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday. The domestic worker, who has been working for a Betawi family in Jakarta for three months, will return to her hometown in Wonosobo, Central Java, for two weeks. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)

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span class="inline inline-none">On her way: Sartini (center) waits for a bus in the Damri bus terminal in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday. The domestic worker, who has been working for a Betawi family in Jakarta for three months, will return to her hometown in Wonosobo, Central Java, for two weeks. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)

Nothing will stop Wati, 23, from hopping on to a bus that will take her home on the last day of fasting.

She said she had turned down the offer from her employer of an extra Rp 500,000 (US$49), half her monthly salary as a live-in housemaid, if she stayed during the Idul Fitri holiday which is expected to fall on Aug. 8 and 9.

'€œIdul Fitri is the time to get together with our beloved family members,'€ she said while sweeping fallen leaves at the front yard of her employer'€™s house in Petamburan, West Jakarta.

Wati said the bus to her hometown in Pemalang, Central Java, would cost around Rp 150,000 ($14.55) for single trip.

Another domestic worker, Nanang, 19, said that he did not want to stay at his employer'€™s house in Menteng, Central Jakarta, during the holiday.

'€œI will be leaving for my hometown in Tasikmalaya, West Java, by motorcycle,'€ he said.

'€œIn an ordinary day, it takes me six hours to reach Tasikmalaya from Jakarta. However, I guess I will spend 12 hours as I'€™m traveling in the middle of the Idul Fitri exodus on Aug. 5.'€

Wati and Nanang are among the many domestic workers who are preparing to leave Jakarta for the Idul Fitri exodus by their own devices, while some others will receive help from their employers.

Ningsih, 22, a housemaid in Menteng said that her boss provided bus transportation for her and fellow domestic servants for their Idul Fitri exodus.

Ningsih is registered as a domestic worker with a company that provides workers for apartments owned by businessman Aburizal Bakrie.

A security officer at the house of an employee of BRI in Menteng, Herman, said that the outsourcing company he worked for provided the employees with free bus transportation to their hometowns.

'€œI'€™m a permanent employee of the company that handles security in my current boss'€™ office, so I'€™m eligible for the facility from my company management,'€ he said.

Most non-formal workers, however, are not that lucky.

Karto, a cigarette peddler in Slipi, West Jakarta, said that four years ago he got a free seat on the bus traveling to his hometown in Tasikmalaya provided by a cigarette producer.

'€œHowever, I have not received such a facility for the last three years. I hope there will be another one this holiday, otherwise I'€™ll have to spend more on a bus ticket.'€

More than 9.7 million people are expected to join in the annual exodus this year, according to Jakarta Transportation Agency head Udar Pristono.

He said recently that the number was 8.6 percent higher than the 9 million people who left the capital during the exodus last year.

'€œUp to 2.5 million residents are expected to take land public transportation, while around 1.3 million people will fly out. The remainder will either take private cars or motorcycles to their respective hometowns,'€ he said.

According to Transportation Ministry, 6.2 million people will go home using 1,759,775 private cars, up by 6.17 percent from 1,657,507 cars in 2012.

Meanwhile, the number of motorcycles in the exodus is projected to reach 3,027,263 units this year, an 8.15 percent increase from last year. (ian)

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